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Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe – 3

EP.3 Omnipotence

In this universe, vast and infinite, there exist a myriad of beings.

Intelligent life forms, microorganisms, gigantic monsters, special entities…

And among them, there are some whose existence is beyond the comprehension of mortal minds.

Absurd beings occasionally exist.

Intelligent beings have called them by various names: 'Great Beings,' 'Gods,' 'Cthulhu,' 'Cosmic Gods,' and so on.

Yet, these beings do not identify themselves by any race or name.

They simply appear and exist.

Where they come from, how they arrive, and why they exist are all beyond understanding.

They are beings that no one can approach or comprehend.

People collectively refer to these beings as Outer Gods, or '외신(外神),' meaning beings from beyond the universe.

The term 'beings' indicates that there are more than one of them.

Of course, not all Outer Gods possess the same abilities or wield the same level of power.

But from the perspective of mortals, they are incomprehensible, god-like entities with absurd abilities from an outside world.

Some planets even worship them as gods, leading to numerous problems.

However, regardless of how the worshippers are dealt with, there is almost no way to handle the Outer Gods themselves, making them one of the Galactic Union's major headaches.

No, they are more than just a headache.

They are akin to natural disasters.

Just as people in the past, without scientific technology, could not stop typhoons or earthquakes, Outer Gods are unstoppable natural disasters.

Avoiding them is considered the best strategy.

However, the Galactic Union does not always plan to avoid them.

With the advancement of scientific technology, most intelligent beings belonging to the Galactic Union can now prevent natural disasters on their planets in advance.

Even if a disaster occurs, they can minimize the damage by applying physical force to eliminate it.

In other words, the cosmic natural disaster known as the Outer God is merely beyond current technological capabilities.

They firmly believed that one day, it would become a controllable domain.

In fact, the Lubaran race once managed to deal with an Outer God the size of a planet using a supermassive warship equipped with the latest scientific technology.

Of course, that supermassive warship, which was practically the ultimate weapon created by combining the scientific prowess of the Lubaran race and all other intelligent beings in the universe, was shattered to pieces.

Nevertheless, the fact that they managed to defeat an unknown entity that seemed unbeatable was significant.

Of course, some argued, "That wasn't truly an Outer God."

"Actually, it was just a gigantic monster the size of a planet."

A terrifying being that caused mental contamination just by being looked at and started molecular decomposition upon contact.

Moreover, it had a body as massive as a planet.

"That's not all."

Jupiter, a Meias elder who had been reprimanded by the Lubaran race for making such claims, thought as he looked at the well-dressed, handsome Terra race youth in front of him.

"Mental contamination and decomposition abilities alone don't define it. Not everything that comes from an external dimension is an Outer God."

Beings from other realms.

They also have ranks.

The lowest rank, which only engages in destruction without any reason.

The mid-lower rank, which has reason but cannot suppress latent instincts.

The upper rank, which explores the world with calm reason and curiosity.

And… the highest, strongest rank, which has mastered everything and shows no interest in anything, merely observing.

As Jupiter, who had lived for hundreds of years as a Meias elder, thought,

At least the upper rank should be considered worthy of being called an 'Outer God.'

The lower-ranked beings are hardly deserving of the title of gods.

They are more akin to dimensional monsters.

So, what about the Terra race youth in front of him?

He had already realized that this young man was an Outer God.

He had seen him create a mental purification device using the latest scientific technology out of an empty pocket in an instant.

Moreover, the mass mental contamination that occurred on the tourist ship was purified not by the device but by his mere authority.

It made sense that his disciple, Lowie Hendrick, couldn't sense any energy movement.

It was simply an act of authority, unrelated to the laws of the universe.

'He is of the highest rank.'

Seeing this, Jupiter was convinced.

A supreme outer entity.

Among the beings from beyond the universe, he was the most overwhelming and absolute.

The reason for this certainty was that he felt no sense of purpose from him.

If he were of a lower rank, the tourist ship and everyone inside would have already been decomposed to atomic levels and become part of the universe.

Their sole purpose is to endlessly destroy whatever they encounter.

If he were a mid-level being, he would have come here out of curiosity to explore something.

But there would be no reason to fix the mental collapse of insignificant lower beings for that purpose.

He simply came, as if to apologize, and restored the mental contamination caused by his presence.

And he even lied to hide his true identity.

Pretending to be an ordinary person.

There was no way to understand the reason behind such behavior.

There was no visible purpose.

That's why he judged that this being was of the highest rank.

A being that knows everything and can do anything, omnipotent and omniscient.

Thus, it has no purpose, and lower beings cannot comprehend it.

It could truly be called a 'real Outer God.'

'There must be a reason he's hiding his identity. I should stay quiet.'

He probably already knew that I had figured out his identity, but there was no need to bring it up.

The fact that my consciousness remained intact even after realizing it showed that he was being considerate.

If he didn't want me to know, he could have erased my memory, or he could have made his presence fully known, causing my mind to collapse.

He was likely being considerate, expecting me to pretend not to know.

"A young man of the Terra race, is it? Thanks to you, the people on this tourist ship, including myself, were able to survive. Thank you."

"Oh, uh, it's nothing. Really…"

Pretending not to know and speaking to him, the young man's eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised.

Seeing this, Jupiter thought his judgment was correct and introduced themselves.

#

"Nice to meet you. I am Jupiter, one of the elders of the Meias race. This is my disciple, Lowie Hendrick."

"Nice to meet you."

Well… after encountering them for a bit, I immediately recalled their names, positions, physical specs, and even the extent of their energy, so there was no need for an introduction.

That old man, as I suspected when I first saw him… he's quite remarkable.

The Meias race, one of the upper races in the Galactic Union, which is composed of various planets with a fantasy world view similar to those in novels from my previous life.

Jupiter was one of the five elders, selected from the most capable individuals of the Meias race.

And the young man beside him was Jupiter's only disciple, considered a rising genius and a potential future elder.

Hmm, to know so much in detail.

It even eliminates the need for small talk topics.

Being an Outer God is more inconvenient than I thought.

It takes away the joy of getting to know new connections.

Don't reveal too much depth!

Still, since we've met like this, we should get along well.

I want to see the magic of the Meias race in action.

I mean, I already know everything about it theoretically.

I can use it whenever I want…

But come on, as a person who's come to another world, don't I have a romantic notion about magic?

There's a big difference between just knowing something in your head and actually seeing it!

I want to see it with my own eyes and be amazed.

"Passengers, we apologize. The maintenance is complete, but… is there anyone who still feels unwell?"

At that moment, one of the crew members came running and asked the passengers.

It seemed that the crew and pilots, who had been mentally affected, had fully recovered.

Even though the mental contamination was purified, it must have taken some time to sort things out.

Well… it looks like everyone is in a similar situation.

No one seems to be in pain, just a bit confused.

And that confusion seems to be settling down.

"My child is having a hard time…"

One of the Terra families raised their hand.

"Sniff, sob…"

A young girl, around ten years old, was still crying.

Even though her mind was purified, experiencing such an event suddenly… it would be fortunate if it doesn't become a trauma.

I'm a bit worried.

Srrr—

Since she's a child, maybe I should go the extra mile and treat her trauma too.

By slightly altering her memory… just removing the keywords related to fear.

She'll still remember the event, but the fear will be gone.

"Sniff… Huh? Why was I crying? Mom! When are we entering the Skull Nebula?"

"Huh? Are you okay…?"

Good, this way, she won't have any lingering trauma.

Hehe, am I… too kind for a terrifying, mysterious Outer God?