I Became the Goddess of a New World

Several returnees have noticed that the world they returned to usually had some issues.
A great catastrophe occurs, gates open, bullets don’t affect monsters, and hunters appear and so on.
It’s a typical cliché to have a world transformed by hunters waiting for the returning protagonist.
“…Just like that?”
What I saw after returning was all too familiar.
A regular, not too narrow or too wide 12-pyeong-sized studio apartment.
It had been a while, but I felt the familiar grip of my smartphone in my hand.
The monitor was lit up with the community I usually enjoyed.
“It’s exactly the same.”
The scenery I last saw before the transfer to another world was identical.
“Not even a day has passed.”
Ten years had gone by in the other world, but not even a single day had passed on Earth.
“About 10 hours…”
An hour on Earth equated to a year in the other world.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurd ratio.
Mokkang—
‘Even after returning, the curse remains unchanged.’
The heavy weight in my chest was still there.
[ Please claim your quest completion rewards! ]
As I finished assessing the situation, a translucent window appeared as if it had been waiting for me.
Since I hadn’t properly interacted with something like this before, I pondered briefly about what to do.
“…Claim quest rewards?”
I said it aloud, and a wave of information flooded my mind.
It came suddenly, but I wasn’t flustered.
After all, I had experienced similar situations numerous times.
‘It was always like this when destroying objects.’
The decisive reason I could become the ‘hero’ of this world.
It was all thanks to the partial rewards from the quests given every time I completed the destruction of an object.
“…”
But the real reward this time was on a different level than what I had received before.
‘Akashic Record.’
An object that records everything in the world.
It was this Akashic Record that had sent me to the other world, issued quests to me, and conveyed knowledge.
All of that was done by this Akashic Record to prevent the destruction of the world.
‘So that’s the authority of the creator.’
The authority to use everything recorded in the Akashic Record.
If I casually compared this to a game, I could say I had become a ‘Director.’
Someone who could freely manipulate the ‘game’ that is this other world?
Just hearing that makes it sound like I’ve transformed into something almost godlike.
Yet, having an influence on this real existing other world is quite difficult.
‘Well, this is Earth.’
What I had obtained as a reward was simply the authority of the Akashic Record of the other world.
Every world has its own corresponding Akashic Record.
‘But the ways to utilize it are limitless.’
For example, I could truly make SoXon, which is set to release in XX22.
I could use the other world as a foundation, 1000 years after I left, to virtually implement the future world through the Akashic Record.
After that, if I only created a device that allowed me to access the generated virtual reality.
“It’s possible.”
The dream of every gamer. A long-held wish.
It was now possible for me to achieve it with my own hands.
‘Though it would require an enormous amount of mana.’
I didn’t have to worry too much about the mana issues.
Because my heart was not an ordinary person’s heart.
‘Dragon Heart.’
I had implanted the heart of a dragon, one of the objects of destruction, into my body.
I gained nearly infinite mana, and I no longer needed to chant spells for magic.
Just as I was getting excited about the thought of creating SoXon with my own hands.
Vroom—
My phone vibrated, and I checked the received message.
The message contained a demand for rent that I had forgotten for a while.
“Ah.”
Is there no way to magic my way out of this?
Having a glimmer of hope, I cast several spells, but my meager balance didn’t increase at all.
Cold, hard reality.
***
“Young lady, you’re quite strong. Here, your pay.”
“Thank you.”
I took the envelope of money handed to me by the team leader wearing a yellow safety helmet and stepped out of the worksite.
The method I chose to get some quick cash was to roll in construction work.
Having done this for roughly 9 years in the other world, I had quite the expertise.
‘It was hard to survive with just magic alone.’
I learned martial arts from strong knights, and thanks to the Dragon Heart, my body was sturdy.
It was the same even after becoming a woman due to the Demon King’s curse.
“Wow, what’s up with that girl?”
“Is she a foreigner?”
“…”
Even with a mask on and a hat, the whispers nearby didn’t cease.
With sky blue eyes and long hair. This hair grows back in an instant, even if cut.
‘Damn that Demon King.’
That insane cursed creature had said, ‘Since I’m red, let’s make the blue one cry,’ making me into a rare-looking girl not often seen even in this world; it was a misfortune in itself.
When I could no longer endure the glares and whispers around me, I slipped into a nearby alley.
After getting to a secluded spot where nobody was around, I teleported back home.
“First… I need to pay the rent.”
The money I earned in the past week working at the manpower office was around 770,000 won.
Originally, the daily pay was 100,000 won, but due to the looksist standards, I was able to earn an extra 10,000 won.
‘Shall I conduct a mid-term check?’
The Akashic Record was much like a modern AI.
“Do this, do that, I’m busy, so handle it,” and so on…
It mechanically executed my commands and even performed well at work.
At this rate, it felt almost like I was sponging off it; my conscience felt a twinge of guilt.
‘But it did prevent the destruction.’
Considering it turned me into a woman in the process, this level of free-riding was somewhat justified.
‘Would it be better if it had a physical form?’
Sometimes, while communicating with the Akashic Record, I found myself talking to myself.
I used to do this often to cope with loneliness when I was first summoned to the other world.
But this was modern society, and it felt off because talking to oneself would raise eyebrows.
‘There’s a useful spell for situations like this…’
Ah, that would be good.
The golem magic of the court mage, the best in the empire.
Naturally, as a royal mage, he had to be skilled.
Well, I went through the motions of humbling myself to that grumpy old man and cast the golem magic I learned from him.
‘How should it look…’
The old man really liked little children (not in a bad way), so most of the golems had the forms of little kids.
But I wasn’t into that style, so I thought of a couple of maids from noble households.
‘It’s better if there’s a bit of exposure.’
‘Not to the level of me, but still pretty.’
‘Since it has a cold AI feel, let’s make a basic base with a flat expression and a cool-dere vibe…’
‘And to stand out, let’s go with black hair and black eyes.’
After finishing the very gentlemanly work, I looked around at the completed golem.
“…I didn’t know I had such talent.”
It was good enough to make something that could be sold as a figurine.
Anyway, I injected mana into the completed maid golem and activated it.
And then, I forcibly relocated the Akashic Record, which didn’t want to leave my mental world.
Did it work? Failure?
I was a bit nervous, since this was my first time doing such a task.
After a brief silence,
It wasn’t long before the golem’s mouth opened.
“Master.”
Oh. It can talk.
But why is the first historic line like that?
“…I didn’t set that.”
“Formal greeting. User Aurora. It’s confirmed as your preference.”
“I can’t deny that.”
“Ugh…”
Suddenly, the Akashic Record-chan made a disdainful expression.
It looked quite nice, but for some reason, the expression felt ‘real’, making me a bit apprehensive.
“If you make that face, I’ll be upset.”
“Old-fashioned.”
“…?”
“Old-fashioned. A term used to describe someone who causes emotional wounds. It’s a trendy phrase that has lost its appeal. I have learned that people who say outdated phrases are often referred to as ‘old-fashioned’. The data about Earth is very interesting.”
What the hell.
The Akashic Record clearly shouldn’t have had any information about Earth.
I couldn’t understand where it was getting all that information from.
“User’s question, acknowledged. I have acquired knowledge and information related to Earth through your mental world and memories.”
“Is that so?”
Up until now, the communication with the Akashic Record had only consisted of exchanging fragments of consciousness.
I would give various commands, and the Akashic Record would merely relay simple affirmations or denials.
I never expected it could communicate so actively, which left me dumbfounded.
Then suddenly, a question that I had held for a long time came to mind.
“Why me? Why was I summoned to the other world?”
Out of billions of people, why was I chosen to be summoned to another world?
“I received a recommendation from the Akashic Record responsible for Earth.”
“A recommendation? From the Earth’s Akashic Record?”
Before being summoned, I was just an ordinary person who loved cultural activities.
If the purpose was to prevent the destruction of the other world, wouldn’t it be better to summon superhumans like those from special forces?
“I was told that you have the most knowledge about the ‘other world’ and an extraordinary understanding.”
“…”
“‘Fantasy’ webtoons total: 712 works, and total views: 7521 times. ‘Fantasy’ web novels total: 1855 works, total…”
“Kyaaaah!”
I screamed.
Receiving the Akashic Record’s fatal attack made my head hurt.
Tap tap—
The Akashic Record poked my cheek with its finger as I collapsed onto my bed.
“…You’re alive.”
“Thank goodness.”
While lying down, I opened my eyes faintly and spoke quietly.
“Calling you the Akashic Record is too long; how about shortening it to Akachan?”
Silence engulfed the room.
“Die.”