The Rotten Future

In the boundless, empty chaos, the malformed, twisted sun burned silently. Beneath its false corona, flesh had piled into chilling "stars," their original forms now utterly unrecognizable.

Black Sun, Creeping Sun Wheel, True Sun God... beneath so many names, what exactly was it? And what had it once been?

Was it the star once enclosed within a Dyson Sphere? The civilization that built that Dyson Sphere? Or the "evidence" that all those things had once existed?

The Black Sun seemed to be the most unusual "ancient god" Duncan had encountered in this world. It was a vast amalgamation: the creation of a glorious civilization, the star that had sheltered that civilization, and the civilization itself, all piled together and mutated into its current form. Perhaps that was one reason its "rotting" had progressed faster than that of the other ancient gods.

Its "essence" had been falling apart from the very beginning.

Duncan still did not agree to this ancient god's request, for he remained wary of the distorted star—he could sense that the Black Sun was concealing many secrets. This ancient god, seemingly "exiled" beyond the Boundless Sea... appeared to know much that even the Four Gods did not, which was deeply suspicious.

But the other party clearly did not intend to reveal those secrets now, and Duncan had no intention of pressing the matter. Just as the Black Sun itself had said—the end was near, but they still had a little time to consider, weigh their options, and establish the necessary understanding and trust.

"I can't agree to you yet," Duncan said, telling it what he thought. "I still don't know enough about you, and more importantly... I'm still not completely certain about the plan to reshape the world. At least until those matters are settled, I can't make