[BL] Daily Disposable Persona

14: Child of the Wind 14

If you really wanted to update your worldview, alchemy and magic pattern classes were nothing. Biology, now—that was the real deal.

When it came to educating new students, MU's curriculum started with their understanding of the world. For the first two weeks, almost every class on the schedule was for introductory biology. This ensured that every freshman was fully aware of the cruelty and horror of the world they'd now entered.

"At the outset of this class, the first thing I should like to say to you is—the gods are real. But the gods are not what men think they are, ever luminous and grand."

In his first lesson, Professor Darwin used this as his opening statement. "The gods that evolved from human myths are known as Elder Gods. Bastet, the cat goddess in Egyptian mythology; Hypnos, the god of sleep for the ancient Greeks; Nodens, the god of the sea in Celtic myths; and even the goddess Nüwa of Chinese mythology, are all quite real.

"The attitude of the Elder Gods towards man is generally benign. Many Elder Gods were the guardians of ancient cities. They were essentially born out of the worship system of men on Earth. The cat goddess Baphomet was once the god of faith of ancient Egyptians and Romans. Men built temples to Elder Gods, forming a mutually beneficial relationship. Miskatonic University was able to move from Arkham in the United States to the border of the Dreamlands with the permission of Nodens, the Lord of the Abyss.

"By the way, as a token of our gratitude, we erected a statue of Nodens in the garden at the center of school. It's the one of the old man in underpants holding a trident."

The suddenly enlightened crowd bowed their heads as they took notes.

"Aside from the Elder Gods, there is an even more powerful kind of God. They are known as the Great Old Ones. The Great Old Ones rule the universe. They are not bound by any laws or treaties known to mankind. They exist beyond the three-dimensional space we know, belonging to a higher-dimensional form of existence."

Darwin expanded on this subject: "The biggest difference between the Elder Gods and the Great Old Ones is that the Elder Gods possess a degree of humanity, while the Great Old Ones do not. This is why we usually refer to the Great Old Ones as evil. But in fact they cannot be classified as good or evil in simple terms, for the values of human beings are completely alien to them, just as ants are unable to understand the minds of men. In the eyes of the Great Old Ones, we are as insignificant as ants.

"Lastly, among the Great Old Ones there are even more formidable entities. These gods are more akin to the embodiment of the laws of the universe than individual beings. And they are completely beyond our conception. They exist outside the universe, above the dimensions. They are called the Outer Gods. None of your studies in elementary biology will involve the Outer Gods. Not unless you receive honors in the advanced biology examination and pursue a master's degree in the MU Biology Department will you be involved in research on the Outer Gods. Because for us as human beings, the Outer Gods are the most distant and unknowable entities in existence.

"Men have no relationship at all with the Outer Gods. How powerful are these beings? Let us say, if the Outer Gods really had the idea of destroying mankind, even if it were just a single thought, the entire solar system would vanish in an instant."

Facing the stunned eyes of the students, Darwin slowly added, "As for these Outer Gods, which are so powerful and beyond the reach of human cognition, we will not discuss them much. Put away the alarmed expressions on your faces. The Outer Gods have better things to do. If they really cared, they wouldn't have allowed human history to develop for three million years.

"This introductory biology class will only discuss the current enemies of mankind.

"Our enemies include extraterrestrials as well as cult believers.