Chapter 1 – The End of Perfection
Rain streaked down the wide glass panes of the tallest tower in Metropia, the largest city in the world — a colossal building that bore the name Novice God HQ.
It stood at the very heart of the city, a monument of ambition piercing the clouds.
Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled. The storm raged on — yet none of its noise reached inside the tower.
Joshua Vail sat behind a desk drowning in files and blueprints on the top floor. The faint glow of the city lights reflected in his tired eyes as he scanned through the endless documents spread before him.
The room was quiet, save for the hum of rain and the low, electric thrum of machines that never slept.
He turned another page, scanned a paragraph, and sighed.
> "Perfect," he murmured, signing at the bottom. "Every sector stable. Every plan in motion. Every dream… complete."
He closed the folder, stood up, and walked toward the glass wall that framed a mesmerizing view of the city below, a city pulsing with the life he'd built from dust.
His reflection stared back — a middle-aged man with black hair, brown eyes, and a jawline still sharp from his younger days.
His beard was neatly trimmed, his build broader, his gaze keener — the mark of a man carved by time, success, and sacrifice.
> "From the slums to the skies," he whispered. "I've made the world a better place… and there's nothing left to change."
He smiled faintly, eyes tracing the glittering lights beneath him. It was beautiful — but lonely in its perfection.
It had all started with a vision — a dream he had as a boy with nothing but determination.
He built an empire from the ground up, refusing to give in, until he stood here: a man who had solved the world's problems with wisdom, wealth, and courage.
To many, Joshua Vail was a living miracle — a man blessed by the hands of God.
He exhaled deeply, memories flashing through his mind like the lightning outside.
> "I've come this far," he said softly, "but I still haven't accomplished my dream."
If anyone had heard those words, they would've been shocked.
For a man who ruled half the world, what more could he possibly desire?
The rain tapped gently against the window — until a soft chime broke the silence.
The elevator.
Joshua frowned. I didn't call anyone.
The digital display above the doors flickered — floor after floor flashing by in quick succession.
Then, with a metallic hiss, the doors opened.
Headlights.
An engine's growl.
Steel glinting beneath fluorescent light.
A truck rolled out of the elevator.
Joshua blinked. Once. Twice. Then laughed — a deep, genuine laugh as an absurd thought crossed his mind.
> "Truck-kun… you motherf***er. Is that you?"
He turned to face the oncoming light, smiling wide.
> "Guess my shift on Earth is over."
He opened his arms.
The truck roared forward.
Glass shattered. Air screamed.
The man who built an empire vanished in a blaze of metal and light.
And just before the impact — for the briefest instant — Joshua saw his childhood self smiling back at him.
> So this is how God calls His soldiers home…