I’m the God and This World Is Doomed

Serian was standing quietly, watching the trees sway in the breeze, when a young man approached him. The first thing that caught his attention was the crimson hue in the man's eyes. It reminded him of someone—someone with a similarly intense aura, someone who had crossed his path before... Vincent Rutherford, the Executioner. Serian's gaze lingered on the young man, his sharp violet eyes studying him.

The young man, who seemed a bit taken aback by the intense stare, shifted uncomfortably. "Uh... Can I help you?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Serian tilted his head slightly. "You look like that man... the Executioner, Vincent Rutherford. The one with the crimson eyes."

Edward blinked at the mention of his brother's name, looking surprised. "Vincent? Uh, yeah, that's my eldest brother. I'm the youngest of five siblings," he explained, scratching his head awkwardly.

Serian nodded slowly, still observing him. "Your bloodline... It carries the same scent as his. Interesting."

Edward shifted his weight, clearly feeling a little uneasy under Serian's steady gaze. "Right, well, that's... uh, not something I hear every day. Anyway, are you here for the exam, too?" he asked, changing the topic.

Serian blinked, as if coming back to the present moment. "Exam? I thought this was a survival test... just to stay alive in the forest."

Edward gave a frustrated sigh. "Ah, so you didn't know?" he said, shaking his head. "That's not how it works. Everyone here has points. You don't just survive; you have to gather points by hunting monsters, collecting herbs, and even fighting other students. Every action gets you points. The more points, the better your position."

Serian's brow furrowed slightly in confusion. "Points? Why fight each other?" He looked around, his gaze scanning the other students who were preparing and engaging in various activities. "Why not simply stay alive and observe?"

Edward chuckled, though it was a bit strained. "You really are out of the loop, huh? It's all about proving your strength. If you have more points than the others, you get higher rankings. And those rankings determine your success in the program." He paused before looking at Serian with a teasing smile. "So, how many points do you have?"

Serian blinked, still not quite understanding. "I have no idea. I just... exist." He frowned slightly. "I didn't realize this was a competition."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Well, it is. Here, let me show you how to check your points." He pulled out a small device from his pouch, a kind of magical communicator that displayed a series of numbers. He handed it to Serian. "Just press this button here, and it'll show you your points."

Serian, looking at the device curiously, followed Edward's instructions. He hesitated for a moment, and then pressed the indicated button. The screen flickered briefly before displaying the following:

Value: 250

Current Points: 200

Serian blinked, looking at the number in front of him with a slight frown. "250... and 200 points...?" he murmured. "What does this mean?"

Edward's eyes widened, staring at the screen. "Wait a second," he said, voice a bit shaky. "This can't be right. You have 250 value, but your points are 200... That's already pretty high for someone who's just been in the forest for a day!" His voice dropped to a whisper. "What happened? Did you fight someone and win points?"

Serian stared at the device in confusion. "I fought... someone?" he repeated, as if the idea didn't make sense to him. "I only dodged... a few attacks."

Edward blinked at him, even more perplexed. "You dodged a few attacks? Who did you fight?"

Serian paused, thinking back. "A girl... she attacked me with fire. I didn't do anything. She just... missed."

Edward's mouth hung open. "Wait, you fought Sienna Redgrave? The one with the fire fists?!" he asked, his eyes wide. "You beat her, didn't you? That's why you have so many points! People have been talking about it. You didn't just dodge her; you must've defeated her!" He shook his head, clearly impressed. "No wonder you've got so many points."

Serian looked at the device again, his expression as neutral as always. "I didn't defeat anyone... she just... missed," he said softly, shrugging. "It was nothing."

Edward stared at him in disbelief, unable to process the calmness in Serian's voice. "Nothing? You... beat her without even trying? You're not just a random student, are you?" he muttered, shaking his head. "This is unbelievable."

Serian, still focused on the device, simply nodded. "I suppose I should be more careful... but it was not my intention to fight."

Edward was still trying to wrap his mind around it. "Unbelievable," he muttered again, scratching his head. "Well, it looks like you're already doing well. But don't get too cocky. The competition here is tough, and you've got to stay sharp."

Serian's gaze turned to the distance, his thoughts momentarily drifting. "I see. I will... observe more," he said quietly, turning back to Edward. "Thank you for explaining." He gave a small nod.

Edward blinked, slightly surprised by how polite Serian was, but then shrugged it off. "No problem. Good luck with the rest of the exam."

Serian simply watched as Edward walked off, the young man still looking back at him as if he couldn't quite understand the enigma that was Serian.

Serian stood still for a moment, his gaze lost in thought. Humans and their competitions... so strange. But it seemed that in this world, everything had a point, even survival.

Serian walked through the forest with Edward beside him. The air was cool, the leaves rustling softly as they moved forward. Sunlight peeked through the branches, but strangely, the trees seemed to shift ever so slightly, providing shade whenever Serian passed under them. Edward noticed it but decided not to comment—yet.

As they continued, a small squirrel suddenly leaped from a branch and landed on Serian's shoulder. It chattered excitedly, holding something in its tiny paws.

Serian blinked, taking the herb the squirrel offered. He turned it over in his hand, recognizing its value immediately. "A rare healing herb," he murmured.

Edward, who had been casually walking beside him, nearly tripped over his own feet. "Wait, what?!" he exclaimed, staring at the herb. "That's worth a lot of points! Where did you even get that?"

Serian calmly pointed at the squirrel, which was now nibbling on a nut on his shoulder.

Edward looked at the squirrel, then back at Serian. "...You're telling me a squirrel just handed you a rare herb?"

Serian nodded as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "Yes."

Edward opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "...Okay. Sure. Why not."

As they walked further, vines hanging from the trees suddenly came to life. Edward tensed, ready to attack, but the vines didn't move toward them aggressively. Instead, they wrapped around the legs of a nearby infected animal—a mutated wolf with glowing red eyes. The beast thrashed, snarling and struggling against the vines.

Serian sighed softly, stepping forward. He lifted the thick book in his hand and, with precise aim, struck the wolf's mana core. The core shattered instantly, and the wolf collapsed, returning to its normal form.

Edward watched with his mouth slightly open. "...You didn't even struggle."

Serian turned to him, blinking. "It was unnecessary. The vines stopped it already."

Edward looked at the vines, which uncurled from the lifeless beast and gently swayed in the air before retreating into the trees. "...Right. Of course, they did."

They continued their journey, and Edward started noticing more strange things. Whenever the sunlight became too harsh, the branches above shifted to provide shade. When they walked near a river, fish gathered close, watching Serian as if waiting for his command. More squirrels and birds occasionally brought him herbs or nuts, and even the wind seemed to move in a way that made their path clearer.

Edward finally sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I don't even know what to say anymore."

Serian glanced at him, tilting his head. "Is something wrong?"

Edward let out a small laugh. "No. Just... watching you is unreal. You're literally getting points just by walking. The forest is helping you. Do you even need to try?"

Serian thought for a moment before answering. "...No, I suppose not."

Edward groaned, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."

Serian, as usual, remained indifferent. He simply walked forward, letting the world around him move as it wished.

Edward sat down on the grass, exhausted. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and checked his points. 1500. Not bad. He had fought several monsters, gathered herbs, and even had a few scuffles with other students. It was tough, but he managed.

Then, he turned to Serian, who was calmly sitting beside him, legs crossed, eating a fruit.

2130 points.

Edward felt his soul leave his body.

"...You just walked."

Serian took another bite of his fruit. "Yes."

"You—You literally just walked, and you have over 2000 points."

Serian nodded, completely unbothered. "Yes."

Edward groaned and let himself fall onto the ground. "I fought so hard. I almost got eaten twice. And you... you just exist, and everything hands you points."

As if to prove his point, a small rabbit suddenly hopped up to Serian, holding a plump red berry in its tiny paws. It placed the berry on Serian's lap and wiggled its nose at him.

Edward sat up and pointed at the rabbit. "That. That right there! You're getting offerings from wildlife! What even are you?!"

Serian blinked at him before looking at the rabbit. Then, as if that wasn't enough, a large brown bear stomped forward. Edward tensed, reaching for his sword, but the bear just sat down in front of Serian and placed a fresh fish at his feet.

Edward's brain short-circuited.

Serian, however, just stared at the fish, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he actually hesitated. The fish flopped slightly. Serian slowly reached out—then stopped.

"...I will not eat it," he finally said.

The bear grumbled, nudging the fish forward.

Serian shook his head and, with great gentleness, picked up the fish and placed it back in the river. The fish swam away, and Serian turned back, accepting the fruits the bear had also brought.

Edward was watching all of this with the expression of someone experiencing an existential crisis. "...I don't even know what to say anymore."

Serian casually peeled a fruit and handed half to Edward.

Edward sighed and took it. "Thanks... I guess?"

As he chewed, he couldn't help but speak again. "I mean, yeah, people awaken powers. I get that. I awakened my Annihilation Swordsmanship, which is pretty strong. But you... I don't even know what your ability is. You're not using magic. You're not using a weapon. The world just likes you too much."

Serian tilted his head slightly. "I do not know either."

Edward stared at him. "You're saying all this is happening, and you have no idea why?"

Serian took another bite of his fruit. "...Yes."

Edward groaned and lay back down again. "This is unfair."

Serian, as always, remained indifferent. He just continued eating, watching the sky, letting the world move around him as it pleased.