Pangu

God of Dawn

Overview

In the age of ancient gods, the Earth was plagued by demon seeds, with trees being their most abundant form. The deities established "greenhouses" in the trees, acting as massive cultivation warehouses, where humans were nurtured and controlled by the gods. Whenever the gods witnessed civilization veering off course, they would intervene to varying degrees. Pangu was the most powerful entity among the gods. With a massive axe forged by all the gods, he banished the demon seeds and protected humanity within the greenhouses. Every time Pangu visited the greenhouses, people bowed their heads in reverence. Until one day, a little girl broke free from her parents' grasp and placed an apple in Pangu's palm. Pangu accepted the gift. Afterward, Pangu frequently paid secret visits to the "greenhouses," but people still feared him, except for this girl named Xi Ji. Through Xi Ji, Pangu gained insight into the new human civilization. He realized that humans were not naive and ignorant; they had already developed their own culture, while the gods' control and constraints were the sources of their suffering. Pangu attempted to convince other gods to let humans develop their civilization independently, but these efforts were met with resistance. Unable to bear it any longer, humans attacked the greenhouses and destroyed the control room. The gods deemed humans a betrayal of their expectations, deciding to start over. Pangu could not accept this outcome. He grabbed his massive axe, the "Key to the Greenhouse," leaped from the upside-down sky, and amidst the fiery human homeland, he carved a path for them, just as he had done for centuries. "Humans, follow me!" He led humans to the edge of the greenhouses, leaped high, and swung his axe at the greenhouse with all his might. However, time flowed differently inside and outside the greenhouse. Pangu retreated, growing in size, standing before humans as their sole protector against the surging tide.He wielded a massive axe, shattering it into pieces. The pain of its erosion unleashed a surge of incredible energy, propelling him to punch through the shield with relentless force. Yet, under the flow of time's torrent, his mighty form aged and waned, eventually collapsing into a mountain that seemed frozen in that eternal moment. Pangu fell, having carved chaos' darkness with his own power, yet bringing civilization to humanity. And after dawn came daylight. Pangu initially felt no strong connection to the new humans; he saw them as a mission. Whenever he entered the greenhouse, people bowed and revered him like a deity. He moved silently among them, his heart calm. One day, amidst prostrating crowds, a young girl broke free from her parents' grasp and stood before him. Amid gasps and trembling pleas from her parents, she ran to Pangu. Perhaps from running too fast, she stumbled on a rock and fell to the ground. But instead of pain, his massive hand lifted her up. Pangu was bewildered; he couldn't understand why. In that moment when she fell, an old memory awoke—as if he had done the same thing long ago. She climbed onto his palm, reached into her pocket, and placed an apple in his hand. Her parents begged the god for forgiveness, everyone trembled. But the girl seemed unaware, thinking Pangu was disgusted and rubbed the apple on her clothes vigorously. After a long silence, Pangu carefully took the apple.The apple was too small for Pangu's massive frame, serving no purpose at all—he had long since lost the human senses, including taste. Yet, the smile of the young girl brought back memories of his former human existence. He was once a soldier in the Fleet International, rescuing such a young girl from a refugee flow during a mission, offering her a flower to soothe her. The starving girl viciously devoured the flower and bit his finger. Suddenly, their images overlapped, and time seemed to rewind to thousands of years ago, filling him with an inexplicable emotion. He remembered that he was once human. At this moment, Pangu felt emotions for humans due to a seemingly insignificant apple from a young girl. Afterwards, he would secretly visit the "greenhouse," where people still feared him, except for a girl named Xijie. Xijie was the queen of children, leading them from fear to bravery. After realizing Pangu posed no danger, they became bolder, sometimes even climbing onto his massive shoulder, placing garlands or crowns of grass on his head. Adults lived in constant fear, but Xijie knew that despite Pangu's usual expressionless face, a small smile played at the corner of his mouth. He sat tall and still, afraid the children might fall. His imposing height made the new humans secretly observe him, while he also watched them. Xijie often told stories to this big friend, her tales, the stories around her, and those of the new humans. Pangu remained silent as Xijie spoke. As a sign of their friendship, she would bring him fruits.This left Pangu feeling peculiar, and gradually, he realized that the new humans had evolved from an abstract mission to a more concrete understanding in his eyes. Every new human became increasingly vibrant. They would laugh, cry, and get angry, though they didn't have to worry about foreign invaders, but humanity was like cattle, strictly adhering to the will of the gods. They repeated the tasks, meals, prayers, and sleep that the gods had designated. Day after day, they went through birth, growth, having children, aging, and death. "Today someone died, everyone buried him," Xi Ji's expression fell, she knew Pangu was listening, this big friend wasn't good at speaking. Instead of words, he preferred action. And rarely, Pangu responded to her this time. "This is the process of life." Xi Ji shook her head. "I'm not sad because of his death, I'm sad because of his birth. To live, to complete a full life according to the gods' way, and then die. Is that life?" Pangu was surprised but didn't know how to answer. "My brother liked writing poems, but the gods only let him recite set texts. The gods led us to build very tall towers, yet they forbid us from climbing them and looking far away." "Because the gods hold knowledge and wisdom, leading humanity to birth civilization." "What is civilization? Does the god's civilization come from this as well?" Xi Ji had never heard of the word 'civilization', which piqued her curiosity. She was curious about everything and thoughtful, but it left Pangu in a longer silence. Pangu realized he couldn't answer this question; the gods tried to create a perfect civilization, so they strictly controlled humanity's development direction. But civilization was never a gift from the gods, but humanity's own choice. He thought maybe the gods made a serious mistake. Comrade One Nuwa recalled her encounter with Pangu.A mountain-like tall and robust man, yet he bears a name too gentle, this was Nuwa's initial impression of Pangu. So when the gods became divine due to creation, Nuwa proposed the name "Pangu" to Him. "Agreed," Pangu readily accepted this arrangement. Nuwa believed Pangu welcomed this—a title seemingly naturally suited for him—but in Pangu's eyes, from the moment he stepped out of the ark, his original self was already dead, and his original name became meaningless letters. In Pangu's heart, there was no more name; only a mission remained. The land lay desolate, teeming with demon seeds. The gods fought side by side, their cooperation seamless. Following Nuwa's suggestion, the gods crafted an indestructible battleaxe for Pangu, which he used to drive out demon seeds and create heaven and earth. At first, things went smoothly. Nuwa created the new humans and nurtured them in a greenhouse. But the gods could not bear the lengthy nurturing process, so they attempted to accelerate civilization within the greenhouse. The results angered the gods; the catalyzed civilizations always developed in directions contrary to what the gods deemed correct. The gods held countless meetings to discuss why human civilization was not progressing towards their ideal of perfection. However, these intense discussions yielded no effective conclusions, and the gods began tightening their control over humans, constantly calculating the optimal solution for human civilization's development. Pangu detested meetings; he preferred solving problems through actions rather than fruitless discussions and endless arguments. He sat straight in a beautifully decorated upside-down sky hall, expressionless, causing Di Jun to remark after waking up one day: "Perhaps you could consider keeping...a pet in your dreams?""Pangu did not answer, but his actions had already spoken for him—he sat upright forever. He was seen as Nuwa's protector, standing by her side in crucial moments. The gods debated fiercely over humanity's future, always ending with Pangu's support of Nuwa. After one such meeting, Nuwa couldn't help but call out to Pangu. She saw a hint of confusion in his eyes, and he weighed the axe in his hand: "I do not understand how to nurture humanity, battle is my forte. But I know you are like a mother to them." "God loves all mankind, they were created under my care," Pangu nodded. "Even if harsh, love runs deep." Nuwa's voice was filled with hope: "We will create a world that has never existed before, to prove the misjudgments of fate and show that we are not a race meant for destruction." Pangu remained silent for a moment, speaking in a low voice: "For humanity." Nuwa grew excited: "For human civilization." Nuwa was the first to sense Pangu's thoughts. She waited for him at the upside-down sky after he returned from the greenhouse. "I know where you've been, and you shouldn't have gone." The situation of the new humans weighed heavily on Pangu's mind, his voice carrying a newfound weight. "To open up the heavens for the new humans, to preserve civilization, is our duty." Nuwa looked at Pangu with a hint of depth in her eyes: "To preserve human civilization, not to cling to their wishes. Humans are like innocent children, unable to control their own destiny, and obeying the will of the gods is the optimal law. This is how gods love all mankind." Nuwa's thoughts represented the collective idea of all the gods except Pangu, who had once been comrades in arms for the continuation of the new humans. Yet now, Pangu found himself feeling distant from them. Nuwa considered Pangu's actions incomprehensible. The gods, accustomed to ruling everything, gradually forgot that they were once part of humanity."They once rose up against their shackles, yet now they impose these same shackles, over and over, upon the New Humans, seeking an optimal solution. Pangu tried to explain to Nuwa everything he had witnessed: "Humans are not mindless puppets; it is the shackles named 'love' that are the source of their pain." Nuwa dismissed his words. "On the right path, there will be discomfort! Humans have made mistakes in the past, and we all bear witness to them. A new history should be created by us." "The fate of humans does not come from divine gifts but from the choices they make themselves!" "Your ignorance could destroy everything!" That day, Pangu and Nuwa had an unprecedentedly fierce argument; their anger consumed them as if they were releasing all repressed emotions. Then came a longer silence. "That fruit..." Finally, Nuwa broke the ice: "Apart from rotting in your modified body, it offers you no benefits. You should know that you can never digest it. It's for your own good..." Pangu remained silent. "Well, perhaps you don't see it that way." Nuwa turned and left Pangu's abode, but they both knew that everything was far from over. Pangu took refuge in a greenhouse, helping humans display their civilization developed by themselves to the gods, showing them that humans had all the elements of a complete civilization. He believed that after long efforts, the gods would eventually remember the essence of civilization and recall the glorious civilizations created by humans in the past. However, results always fell short of expectations, and the lofty gods could not understand Pangu's actions. As Pangu tried to mediate, some ideas began to take root among the humans in the greenhouse. When humans finally reached their breaking point and launched a rebellion, Di Jun told Pangu that someone among the New Humans believed life was a set of shackles, a prison, and called on the masses to break free and gain freedom.Humans launched an attack on the greenhouse control room, blowing it up. "Time is different inside and outside the greenhouse, you know what's out there." Di Jun watched Nuwa silently, defining the situation with emotionless tones: "This is a suicide attempt." The news sent shockwaves through the suspended sky. "They actually believe life has no meaning!" "Even if we forgive them this time, such thoughts will cause great turmoil among the human population, ultimately leading to the downfall of human civilization." The gods discussed animatedly, ignoring Nuwa, while only she felt anger burning within. She had never been one for eloquent speech, but she understood that it was divine control that led to this. Yet, the gods clearly didn't see it that way. Nuwa raged alone. In the end, Nuwa shattered the greenhouse, sending shockwaves through all the gods. The suspended sky fell silent, not a sound to be heard. The gods watched as Nuwa defied time, standing in front of the new humans, her axe breaking into pieces, until she collapsed into a massive mountain. They couldn't comprehend Nuwa's act of suicide, but only Lady Nuwa understood that she was demonstrating a possible path for human civilization through death. Human fate does not come from divine gifts, but from their own choices. After Nuwa's death, humans took root in broader areas beyond the forest with the help of priests, repelling demonic influences and developing their own survival methods under divine guidance, forming nations. They believed the world was vast, so they migrated constantly, searching for a true home. Only a small fraction of humans remained in the forest, calling themselves the Return to Mountain tribe. "Have we been wrong?""Nuwa did not construct a second greenhouse, instead attempting to observe humanity as Pangu had, discovering that though humans leaving the greenhouse faced danger, they also developed more intelligent ways to combat it. Dilemma and wisdom are two sides of the same coin; freedom brought both unknowns and possibilities for civilizational advancement. Thus, Nuwa dispatched her priests to aid the newborn humans in repelling the demon species and developing their own civilization. Gazing upon Pangu's legacy forged with life, her voice solemn and heavy: "Humans require space for development, gods need more tolerance as well." Di Jun rarely agreed with Nuwa, saying: "Our ally, worthy of respect." Xihui, the mountain spirit, cried out in anguish amidst the crowd, seeing Pangu's broad figure transform into a slender, iron-like muscle structure that collapsed into a massive mountain. Even at the last moment, his gaze was fixed on humanity. Pangu thus vanished, his body standing tall as the highest peak of the construction wood, still visible in human form to this day. Xihui picked up a fragment of the "Greenhouse Key" from Pangu's palm. With it, she led the newborn humans who had lost their loved ones during the cataclysm away from humanity, forming their own tribe. From then on, humans embraced the belief in the Guishan clan, worshipping the dawn god. Due to frequent demon activities, most of the new humans eventually left the construction wood, seeking more peaceful lands. The Guishan clan was an exception; they secluded themselves deep within the forests of the construction wood, honing their abilities with the power of the "Greenhouse Key," repelling demons and developing their civilization while searching for other fragments of the key. They believed that when the axe is complete, the dawn god will return." "Hahaha, a captivating tale—far more intriguing than any sea monster stories told by those boastful bards.""A merchant caravan soaring through the clouded wasteland sometimes escorts weary travelers, passing the time with idle chatter during their journey. Sitting in front of the cart alongside a merchant are an elderly man and a young girl, their forms concealed beneath hoods. 'So, have they gathered together?' The girl smiles, her eyes like the dawn sun, responding in a warm voice: 'Not yet, they've collected most of them. Since the gods with different intentions each took some...'" She pauses, then murmurs to herself: "But they will be found." The cart reaches a fork in the road and the old man and girl alight. The merchant, seemingly still enthralled by the story of Pangu, asks: "Off to the grand bazaar this year? And you?" "We've heard tales of a goddess in Yu City, so we're headed there." "Then farewell, may the sacred fire protect you." The merchant nods and slowly drives away his cargo-laden cart. The girl's voice fades into the wind. "May the dawn god protect you too." *Book of Creation, Volume 2 (from the fragmentary scroll of *The Chronicles of Origin*)* *Book of Creation (Drafted by Pangu, Nuwa)* We emerged from chaos, born of nothingness. Our ancestors and we ourselves sinned greatly in the age of Earth, corrupting nature, slaughtering life, ultimately cast out by the universe onto this desolate planet.To survive, we have adapted ourselves on the migrant ark, discarding our past names, identities, bodies, and senses. But memories still belong to us. We will create worlds that have never existed before to prove the significance and value of our clan, their virtues and elegance; we will forge worlds that have never been realized to prove the misjudgments of fate, proving that we are a race that should not be destroyed. We will become the source of the continent, never allowing the continent to be our source. The Book of Creation (Final Draft) (Drafted by: Di Jun) Born from the glorious civilization, God is the highest among all beings, the embodiment of mysterious power. With their arrival, they hope to share this place with all life on the continent, creating worlds that kings have never witnessed. God summons all beings to collaborate in creation, promising not to force the labor of the wild demon race or divide them into racial hierarchies based on superiorities and inferiorities. Those who aid God in creation will receive generous rewards. God will reveal their power and authority to all beings. By the name of creation, God will permanently eliminate evil-doers and fools with violent means.