Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe

Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe

EP.92 Nodens

[ Apologies for the late introduction. My name is Nodens. I am the hope that has descended upon this land to punish the wicked gods. ]

[ …. ]

Wow, this is quite shocking.

It’s the first time I’ve seen an outer god who gives himself a name.

And what’s more? Punishing wicked gods? Hope that has descended upon this land?

To be able to say such embarrassing things without a hint of shame.

With his appearance of an old man with a bushy beard, riding a chariot pulled by horses larger than the universe, his presence is undeniably grand.

Certainly, to those of lower rank, his words would sound quite convincing.

Well… to me, honestly, he just looks like a senile old man trying to act majestic, but still.

But according to the oral tradition, he’s supposed to appear riding a shell pulled by sea creatures.

Was that too lowly, so they changed it to majestic horses?

[ Ho ho ho. Seeing you speechless, it seems my name has quite startled you. As well it should. To wicked and foolish gods like you, my name is nothing short of a nightmare! ]

His booming voice resonates in my head.

Really, I can hear just fine without you speaking so loudly.

And it’s not that I’m too startled to speak.

I’m at a loss for words because what you’re saying is so ridiculous.

I mean, isn’t it funny when you think about it?

After all, all of this, including that entity called Nodens and even myself,

We’re just fragments of Azathoth, mere figments of his dream.

We’re insignificant beings that could vanish with a single gesture if he were to have a slight whim. So isn’t it laughable to talk about wicked gods, hope descending upon this land, and nightmares?

At least I, once my seed germinates, will somehow manage to climb up to a position equal to Azathoth before I depart. But that old man probably only vaguely recognizes Azathoth’s existence, just like other outer gods.

It’s hard to believe he’s one of Azathoth’s largest fragments, like me.

I wonder if Yog-Sothoth feels the same way?

In the past, I might have been quite intimidated when something like Nodens appeared, but now, no matter what shows up, I just feel indifferent.

[ So, what brings you here? ]

To my question, Nodens replied with all sorts of posturing:

[ As I said, I am the nightmare that punishes wicked gods like you! I shall punish the trash who dare to defy providence, meddle with the universe, and pretend to be creators by making their own worlds! ]

Hah, would you look at that.

I can see why Nyarlathotep hates this old man so much.

If he just destroyed her creations, it wouldn’t be something to get so angry about.

It would be annoying, sure, but just to that extent.

But her feelings towards Nodens are at the level of hatred.

I can see why now.

He’s the type Nyarlathotep absolutely despises.

The kind that blocks the curiosity she wants to resolve, and prevents her from doing what she wants because he thinks he’s right.

He’s the worst opponent for an extreme researcher type like Nyarlathotep.

And I don’t particularly like him either.

At least Idra tries to persuade you not to do something, rather than taking such extreme actions.

She just sticks around and annoys you a bit.

But acting like some kind of judge and calling others trash while claiming to punish them is crossing the line.

[ What right do you have to stop me? It’s not like there are any set laws for beings like us, unlike for the created beings. ]

[ I am the law. You have crossed the line. You have defied providence far too much. ]

[ …. ]

There’s no reasoning with him.

In this case, there’s no choice.

[ Don’t say I didn’t warn you. ]

I’ll have to teach him a harsh lesson.

We’re both immortal anyway.

We’ll just fight until one side surrenders.

To be honest, it’s my first proper fight between outer gods, so I’m a bit worried, but there’s no helping it.

I’ll give him a good thrashing.

Just as I thought that,

Snap—

The world stopped.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Nodens, the moving universe bubbles, everything.

Everything came to a halt.

Only I was moving normally in this frozen world.

[ …? ]

I was startled for a moment, but then I calmed down as I realized there’s only one being capable of doing this.

[ Wait. ]

As I thought.

It’s Azathoth.

His voice was heard.

[ What’s going on? ]

He suddenly stopped the world and spoke to me.

Did something urgent come up?

Oh, could it be that the seed inside me is growing faster than expected, so I need to step down sooner than anticipated?

I was a bit worried for a moment, but fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

[ Stop. Fight, dangerous. ]

Seeing that Nodens and I were about to fight, he came to stop us.

Is this like parents breaking up a fight between siblings?

[ …Wait. ]

After saying that, he came to me in human form as before.

I guess he thought this would be more convenient for conversation.

I found it more comfortable too, so I changed into Eugene’s form and entered his space.

“You must not fight. It’s dangerous.”

“…? What do you mean?”

Suddenly telling me it’s dangerous and not to fight.

Does he mean I would lose?

Is an outer god who makes up his own name really that powerful?

He doesn’t seem that way to me.

He’s about the same as me, or maybe slightly below.

As I thought this, Azathoth shook his head.

“That’s not it. The danger is to the other side.”

It seems I had it backwards.

But why is it dangerous?

Wouldn’t we just scuffle until one side surrenders?

As I tilted my head in confusion, Azathoth spoke with an expression that seemed like he was sighing:

“Have you forgotten? You are like me. You carry the same power as me within you. Do you not understand what this means?”

“……”

At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine.

Is it because I’m in a human body?

Anyway, that’s what those words mean.

I… if I wanted to, I could annihilate even outer gods.

Just like Azathoth does.

Of course, I probably can’t just erase them with a wave of my hand like Azathoth, but it means that if we scuffle and fight, I might accidentally fire an annihilation beam if I don’t control my power properly.

Even if it’s a fragment of Azathoth.

Wow, so I was about to completely erase a top-tier outer god named Nodens?

That’s a bit scary.

Is this how it feels when you hand a gun to someone who’s never fired one before?

It feels like my hand is trembling, holding a weapon too powerful to handle.

“There’s no need to be afraid. It’s only natural.”

Well, sure, it might be natural for you.

Think about it.

Even though it’s just implanted memories, I still remember being human until not too long ago.

Well, it’s probably been well over a hundred years since then, but anyway.

But to have gained the power to annihilate even immortal outer gods, not long after realizing the immense power of an outer god.

How could that not be frightening?

I can’t help but become cautious, just like when I first realized I was an outer god.

Like that time when thousands of people nearly died from mental collapse just from the sound of my voice.

“Don’t worry. It’s not that easy to annihilate them, so as long as you don’t overdo it, it’s fine. For now.”

For now?

So later on, I’ll really be able to just erase cracks and top-tier outer gods with a wave of my hand, like Azathoth?

Well, I guess becoming an entity on par with Azathoth means that’s entirely possible.

What in the world is going on here?

In other novels, the protagonist at most uses magic and swings a sword, and that’s where their incredible power ends.

Why are the stages I’m skipping so extreme?

From a cosmic nobody to a top-tier outer god creating universes, and then to an absolute creator making worlds where those top-tier outer gods roam?

“……”

Sigh.

Well, whatever.

What’s the point in worrying about it?

Nothing’s really changing anyway.

It’s just that what I’ve been doing—creating and erasing—has expanded from the scale of created beings and universes to the scale of outer gods and cracks.

What I’m doing is the same.

I just need to be a bit more careful, that’s all.

“I’ll send that one back. Don’t worry about it.”

“…Alright.”

By the way, did he come out because he was worried his fragment might be annihilated?

Seems like even Azathoth has a bit of a soft side.

#

After the chaos subsided, I thought I’d take a look at the original universe while I was here, since it had been a while.

After all, the storyline had completely diverged from that clone SF universe midway through.

Let’s see, when I last checked, wasn’t it the same up until meeting the elves and joining the Galactic Union?

In the clone universe, they went on to reorganize the Galactic Union internally and even extended their reach externally.

They got their hands on Zone Y, and now they’re setting out for Zone Z.

I wonder how the original universe is doing?

[ I believe we should now venture outward. ]

[ Outward? Do you mean to expand the Galactic Union’s territory? ]

Oh ho, this side seems to be flowing in a similar direction as well.

But I suppose stories in different universes are bound to unfold differently.

[ Isn’t that still too premature? ]

[ Indeed. Now that we’ve reorganized the Galactic Union internally, I believe it’s time to focus on strengthening our domestic affairs. ]

It seems Eugene’s influence is weaker than expected here, as the elders strongly opposed Eugene’s opinion.

I get the feeling things will progress more slowly on this side.

How fascinating.

There shouldn’t be any major differences up to this point, though.