Chapter 183: A Familiar Ceiling (2)
Chapter 183: A Familiar Ceiling (2)
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Sheeeeeeit.
I expected my stats and traits to grow, but I didn't think I’d snag the Adversary title and the Blessing of All Gods this early.
Both have such grueling acquisition conditions that you usually don't see them until sophomore year at the earliest, and more commonly junior year.
I guess that just goes to show how massive this achievement was.
I already figured the Evil God cults would be gnashing their teeth. I’d do the same if I were in their shoes.
By the way, what is Righteous Light even doing…?
Weren't they supposed to be more... I don't know. Solemn and powerful? Like a majestic lion?
Well... I’m not going to complain about them showering me with blessings.
Gulping nervously, I checked my new acquisitions first.
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【Trait: Blessing of All Gods (B)】
All the Good Gods of the Eurelia continent support and protect you.
You have proven yourself worthy.
May the blessings of the gods be upon your future.
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Overall, it’s a defensive trait.
The effect that lets you cheat death—even if it's only once—is undeniably top-tier.
The boost to various resistances is also among the best of any trait.
Since this is a growth-type trait, the effects will scale significantly if I keep doing things the Good Gods like and raise its rank.
In fact, if a tank-class character reaches the maximum S-rank, they become practically immortal...
But even a great trait like this has its drawbacks.
Specifically, it only applies while I'm on the Eurelia continent.
Dungeons are fine since they’re fragments of the old continent, but in the domains of the Evil Gods, the effectiveness drops by more than half.
The resurrection effect, in particular, becomes a mere probability, which has led me to rage-quit and smash a few keyboards in the past.
Well... looking at it another way, it’s a trait that excels everywhere except the final chapter.
That’s why the earlier you get it, the better.
I stared at that final effect—my reliable insurance policy—before moving on to the next notification.
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【Title: Adversary】
You are the nemesis of all Evil Gods and the cultists who worship them.
They shall hate you, yet they shall also fear you.
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Simple but powerful. It’s also highly versatile.
It applies to cultists, monsters, and even the Evil Gods themselves.
However, it doesn't have a limit-break effect, so it can't push stats or traits past their maximum caps.
That part is a bit of a shame, but... considering the enemies I’ll be facing, this title is so good I almost feel guilty having it already.
Now, only two remained. These were the ones that had been strengthened from my existing traits.
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【Trait: Cultist Hatred (A)】
Not only have you crushed numerous cultist plots, but you have finally executed a high-ranking official.
To any observer, you are a full-fledged hater of cultists!
Of course, the cultists likely hate you just as much.
※ This trait can be deactivated.
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I didn't expect to hit the max rank already. Since it stacks with the Adversary title, it’s incredibly potent. It certainly did me a lot of favors this time around.
The increase in damage taken is a bit annoying... but mages aren't meant to get hit anyway. We’re the ones who fire the glass cannons first.
Besides, for me, the trade-off is more than worth it.
Next up... it had to be that.
With a pounding heart, I checked the system window.
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【Sun God's Blessing (A+)】
The most radiant being in the heavens. The Master of the Sun shares his brilliance with you.
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???
I heard it was "significantly strengthened," but isn't this a bit much?
Cultist Hatred is a trait that levels up easily, so I can understand that, but a Blessing is a trait that only improves when a god personally bestows their power.
And right now, the Good Gods are so drained of power they can't even appoint Apostles and are just barely hanging on.
Usually, the blessing received by an Apostle-level figure like a Saintess or Saint is S-rank. A candidate for that position gets an A-rank.
With an A+ rank, I’m technically a more promising Apostle candidate than Helena.
...Why did it jump so much? Are they trying to make me an Apostle?
I’d feel a bit bad since I plan to flatly refuse if they ever ask.
But then again... it’s not like I asked for it. They gave it to me first, so shouldn't I just be grateful and use it?
I made a mental note to practice Light attribute magic alongside my elemental spells before finally opening my status window.
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Name: Yandel
Title: Ghost Buster -> Adversary
Basic Stats
Strength: 15 -> 18
Endurance: 14 -> 17
Agility: 15 -> 18
Dexterity: 16 -> 18
Magic: 22 -> 24
Traits
Endless Mana (A)
Elemental Affinity (B)
Excellent Memory (B)
Ordinary Weapon Skill (D+) -> (C+)
Lintblum Mana Core (C+) -> (B+)
Lower Mage (C+) -> Intermediate Magician (B)
Sun God's Blessing (B) -> (A+)
Cultist Hatred (C) -> (A)
Medicinal Constitution (C)
Element Combination (A)
Blessing of the Sea (B+)
Blessing of All Gods (B)
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“…….”
Haven't I become a bit too strong...?
How can a mage's physical stats be on par with an Aura User?
Of course, I can't reinforce myself with Aura, so I’d still lose in a direct physical confrontation, but the fact that my raw physical body is comparable is absurd.
And my Magic stat. It’s already hit 24. Usually, you don't reach the mid-20s until your junior year.
Well, I took down cultists way ahead of schedule, so I guess I’m just collecting my rewards early.
Being strong early doesn't mean I can stack more stats indefinitely. After all, the number of dungeons and cultists is finite.
Unless I achieve some kind of enlightenment, my ceiling is fixed.
However, it means I can crush cultists and sabotage their plans much sooner.
This will naturally lead to the weakening of the Evil God's forces in the final chapter, significantly increasing the survival rate for me and those around me.
But what happens after the final boss is defeated?
Maybe it's because I saw Iona achieve her revenge. I found myself wondering about the story after the ending.
Surely they wouldn't pull a "you've fulfilled your purpose, now go back to your original world" development at this point, right?
I don't know who transported me here, but if they try to discard me like a used tool, I intend to resist with everything I’ve got.
By then, I’ll have grown to a level practically indistinguishable from a demigod, so I should be able to manage somehow, right?
...No, that’s too pessimistic.
There was a time when gods themselves walked the earth. They wouldn't kick me out just because a few demigod-level beings are hanging around.
In fact, the game's epilogue always felt like a "lived happily ever after somewhere on the Eurelia continent" vibe.
I could even start my own country if I wanted... but let's think about that slowly.
Considering the diplomatic relations with other nations and churches, or the basic administrative work of ruling, it might actually be more of a headache.
Power and fame are nice, but I’d much rather just kick back and relax.
I closed the status window and stared blankly at the ceiling, letting my imagination wander.
My retirement in this world, contingency plans for the worst-case scenarios, ways to overcome the issue of lifespan, and so on.
It was the kind of daydreaming on par with "what if I win the lottery" or "what if terrorists burst in right now," but it was a rare moment of leisure, and I found myself enjoying it.
However, I couldn't just lie here forever.
Whether it was because of the buffs I’d pushed to the limit or the magic I’d forced out while surrendering my body to enlightenment, I still had quite a bit of internal damage.
I should take Carla’s advice and get some proper rest.
With that thought, I slowly closed my eyes... but for some reason, the sensation of Iona drinking my blood kept flickering in my mind, keeping me awake.
That feeling of being the only two people left in the world. An ecstasy bordering on sex.
It felt like it could become addictive.
Whenever I fought vampires who appeared as villains, there were always those who stepped forward to offer their blood willingly.
When I watched it through a monitor, I just assumed they were under a charm spell... but now I know. They were just being pleasure-conditioned.
“Sigh...”
I let out a long breath and opened my eyes again.
It couldn't be helped. Since I couldn't sleep, I might as well do something else for a bit.
I picked up the book Carla had left behind. She told me to read it if I got bored, right?
I turned on the magical lamp on the table, revealing the book's title.
『Imperial Giggle Humor Collection』
“???”
A familiar title. It reminded me of when I first bought Carla.
When I told her to say something funny because I was bored, she told some bizarre jokes...
Still, you never know. I decided to flip through the pages. Maybe Carla just had weird taste and remembered the unfunny parts, while the book itself was actually good.
Flip.
“Gah!”
A surge of irritation made me almost throw the book, but I barely managed to restrain myself.
Carla brought this thinking of me, so throwing it would be a bit much...
It’s not Carla’s fault. It’s the humor of this other world.
“Haaa...Whew...”
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
I put the book back where it belonged and closed my eyes. It wasn't intentional, but the recent irritation had successfully blurred the lingering sensations of the blood-drinking.
Now I could finally sleep.
Thanks to the short but intense session with Carla, my body was feeling just the right amount of lethargic.
This time, as soon as I closed my eyes, drowsiness began to wash over me.
Just as the sensation in my limbs began to fade and my mind grew hazy, right on the verge of falling asleep—
Creeeeeak—
The faint sound of a door opening.
The intensive care unit wasn't a place just anyone could visit. Since the people allowed in were limited, it had to be someone I knew.
Was it Carla? No, if she were coming back, she would have just finished her business here.
Then it must be Elisha, arriving a bit early. She probably came in quietly because she just wanted to sleep beside me.
Though I’d woken up a bit, I was still half-asleep as I scooted over to the side.
I was trying to make room for Elisha.
Press.
Whoever had climbed onto the bed stayed still instead of trying to lie down next to me.
Instead, I felt a heavy, lingering gaze.
...What?
There was no hostility. But it wasn't a familiar presence either. My mind, now fully alert, prompted me to pretend to toss and turn while slightly cracking my eyes open.
Just enough so I could see, but they wouldn't notice.
“Mmm.”
What I saw through the narrow slit of my eyelids was...
A pair of blood-red eyes staring straight down at me.
“GYAAAH! A GHOST—! Mmph!”
“Shh! Shhh!”
The intruder clamped a hand over my mouth and whispered softly.
“Be quiet! What if someone hears you!”
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
Are you planning on doing something that would be a problem if someone heard?!
The moonlight pouring through the window illuminated dark red hair.
Right. I suppose a vampire is a type of ghost, in a way.
Iona, who had somehow sneaked into my bed, gave me a mischievous smile.
“Iona has arrived!”