Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Time of Rewards (2)
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"Next is levitation. Launch your body like you're double-jumping..."
-Shwooo.
I'm flying.
My body floated up into the air.
"I see."
"...From there, if you push off twice more, you'll drop—"
-Plop.
"You're right."
"......G-Good... job..."
-Rumble rumble rumble.
Elenaia's eyes shook violently.
She looked like she'd flop over if I just poked her.
After that, Elenaia taught me various maneuvers possible in soul form, and I mastered them all on the first try.
'Feels kinda like spectator mode, wandering around.'
My current state was like some kind of ghost.
I could pass through walls and float up and down in the air freely.
How do they even fix the horizon coordinates like this?
'Anyway...'
-Swish, whoosh.
After finishing my ultimate move, the Soul Backflip, I glanced at Elenaia.
"What the shrine maidens take ten years to master... in one day... Then all this time, I've been..."
Wobble—!
She staggered like a newborn fawn.
Seemed my perfect mimicry had shocked her too much.
"...Preparing demonstrations, compiling tips... My first disciple in years... I worked so hard... Sniff."
Elenaia turned her head away and started muttering her woes to herself.
"...Ugh."
It somehow felt pitiful.
This makes me look like the bad guy.
A bit unfair.
What can I do if it just comes naturally?
'No helping it.'
But I'm an adult. Gotta suck it up.
Duty to protect a child's innocence.
Even if it's a fawn.
"Eh—?!"
With that thought, I twisted my body dramatically.
And then,
-Thud!
I flung myself toward the ground.
Like I'd taken massive damage and collapsed.
Luckily, being a soul form, it didn't hurt.
"What's wrong?"
Elenaia rushed over, flustered by my sudden action.
'Perfect, now.'
And,
"Aaaah! Aaaaah— Aaaaack!!!!"
I rolled around on the ground, screaming at the top of my lungs.
"H-Huh? Why are you suddenly—?!"
Elenaia hurried over in a panic.
Hasn't caught on yet?
"Aaaack!!! Huff, it's like... my soul is ripping apart!!! This feels like... what is it? Right, muscle soreness! Soul muscle soooore!!!!"
I kindly explained my "condition."
This should clue her in.
"...! I see, so it's the type where the strain hits all at once! No wonder you seemed fine!"
Elenaia eagerly took the bait I'd dangled, like a sharp webnovel reader.
"Aaaah...! If it was like that, you should've said so earlier... Gaaack!!! I'm dyiiiing!!!"
I flipped onto my back like an upturned beetle, clutching my stomach to express agony.
"I-I've never seen a case like this... Calm down! I'll stabilize your soul with my power...!"
Fwaaah—!
A green light that screamed "healthy" bathed my body.
Like recovery effects in a game!
"Ooooh... the pain... it's fading...! This is peace..."
In reality, it just felt like menthol spray.
But I acted like all my worries had melted away into serenity.
"The convulsions stopped. Good. Sorry, I've never dealt with your type before..."
-Bow.
Elenaia apologized to me, looking ashamed.
"No no no! It happens! I'm fine now anyway!"
Don't do that.
Makes me feel like a self-harm extortionist.
"A-Anyway! How do we overcome this? It'll be a hassle if it happens every time!"
Quickly change the subject!
I steered the conversation smoothly,
"Don't worry. I prepared something special, anticipating this."
Elenaia nodded contentedly, put something in her mouth, then placed it in my hand.
Glancing down with just my eyes, I saw a small pouch made of leaves.
"What's this?"
"A pill made from a portion of my essence. It purifies impurities and smooths mana flow in the body. You could say it elevates the soul's tier."
"Ooh."
"I'm a god with no believers now, but still, it's part of a divine body. Guaranteed effective. Eat it after waking, and it'll reduce the strain on your soul."
"Amazing stuff. Thank you."
No strain whatsoever, but still.
Sounds beneficial, no harm in taking it.
'But is it okay to hand this out so freely?'
Suddenly, it felt like the reward outweighed the deed.
Like catching a bullfrog behind the hill and suddenly the environment minister shows up with a Nobel Peace Prize.
"Aren't you being too generous? I didn't do much."
I switched to polite speech to convey gratitude.
Best I can do, Lady Elenaia.
"Sudden formality? I'm the one who should be polite."
But Elenaia backed away in surprise.
"You're truly humble. You deserve even greater rewards... No, was even this easy for you...?"
"Uh... yeah."
I'll go with that.
Arguing praise looks weird.
"Still, no requests? Feels bad if I don't ask."
"...Hmm, well then..."
Out of courtesy, I asked once more. Elenaia pondered, then spoke.
"If you leave... would you recommend this forest as a residence?"
"Residence?"
"Yes. Demons eroded it before, but thanks to you, it's much better. Ecosystem will recover, animals return. With believers, it'll speed up."
"Ah."
Like fixing a space-time issue makes a great apartment available—put in a good word.
"Of course. I'll recommend it for sure. But anyone okay?"
"Most are fine, but... dwarves are tricky. They chop too many trees. Ideally, nature-friendly races."
"Elves?"
"They worship the World Tree only. No faith gathered."
"...I'll skip those two."
Says anyone's fine, but picky.
"Then, time to part ways."
Elenaia said, gazing at the rising sun.
"Yeah. Thank you so much today. I'm lying down now, but know I'd kowtow if I could."
"I see. And... please handle the residence promo."
"Count on me. This is my field."
YouTube travel vlogs, technically.
But same idea: drawing people in.
"Take care!"
"You too. Savior."
We exchanged farewells,
-Flash.
And I woke from the dream.
"Ugh."
Right after waking, a doubt arose.
Was even this a dream?
But,
"Nope."
The leaf pouch in my hand shattered that instantly.
"Alright, time to grow."
It's a fantasy world—gotta snag opportunities, level up.
God's essence? Must be potent.
'Munchkin status incoming?'
Genius mage potential awakens, or spirits adore only me.
With pleasant fantasies, I unwrapped the leaves,
"This is..."
And saw finger-sized brown pills inside.
"These..."
Yeah, round brown pills.
"Hmm..."
To compare, they looked just like...
"Isn't this deer shit?"
Deer droppings.
*
Lady Elenaia's fawn essence.
Her final gift brought me immense torment.
"She said 'part of herself,' right?"
Logically, that includes excrement.
"Egyptian myths have gods from semen, but..."
Too much for modern sensibilities.
'Smell it.'
-Sniff sniff.
Nutty and sweet scent.
'Not it?!'
Relieved at that,
-Today's Trivia! Herbivore droppings don't smell bad! Deer and rabbits even eat their own poop as snacks...
Some useless YouTube fact popped into my head uninvited.
Neurons, shut up.
Don't remind me of gross info.
"Fuck..."
I clutched my head.
Too smooth sailing.
Strength or shit-eating dilemma? Too harsh.
"It was for my soul soreness anyway. Do I even need it?"
All fake. No issue without it. Do I have to?
Doubts chained on, but...
"...Still gotta eat it."
Conclusion: eat.
It's a gift for me.
Like a fan letter from a subscriber.
Explorer Will? Dunno. But 100k YouTuber Kim Joo-hyuk never ignores fans.
'Down the hatch!'
Resolved, reaching for the pill—
-Pause.
'...Eat it with something else, fine right?'
Way to mask the grossness hit me.
-Dash!
I rushed to the breakfast crowd.
'There!'
Tempting sandwiches on display.
Slid a pill into one.
Less gross this way.
'Good. Deep breath.'
Set sandwich down, closed eyes, breathed deep.
Steel nerves for poop sandwich.
'Ready.'
'Eat...!'
Arm extended to my deer-shit sandwich—
-Nom.
It vanished into suddenly appeared Regen's mouth.
"Guh...?!"
My mistake.
Left deer-shit sandwich on communal table.
Didn't predict someone snagging it while psyching up.
"...R-Regen..."
"Ugh, this tastes... spoiled...?"
Regen grimaced like she'd eaten something vile.
"..."
Telling her spells doom.
"Yeah, Will? You call? Anyway, don't eat that. Seems off. Who made it?"
"...Uh, dunno..."
"Hey! Mage kid! What'd you make?! Why's it taste like this?!"
Someone yelled after biting another sandwich.
'Mage... Fey?!'
Lightbulb moment.
"Think Fey made it."
"...I see."
I dunno details, but Fey's cooking doesn't suit local tastes.
Blame deer-shit flavor on her.
'Sorry Fey... but for future relations, best this way.'
Imagine telling her, 'Pardon, but you ate the deer shit I was gonna.'
Instant beating.
'Honestly, not like I need it with full powers.'
Mental gymnastics, but best now.
No choice. Sorry Regen, Lady Elenaia.
'...I'll promo hard though.'
Silent apologies to both.
Yeow—!
Somewhere, Fey's scream echoed as punishment for bad sandwiches.
*
"Urp, uweeeck— Haa, haa, haa."
Time passed. In a forest corner, away from the prepping group.
Regen puked up a handful of black liquid, face pale.
'Damn... why... breakfast issue? No, can't blame that.'
Her body was wrecked beyond repair.
Check if body can handle food first.
'This way, maybe a month left.'
Curse caster gone, but curse lingers.
Creeping toward death, step by step.
Short lifespan.
That's why Regen rejected Will's party invite.
Tired of adventures? Scared? Wanna rest?
-Crunch!
Ridiculous.
'No way she doesn't wanna go...'
A day later, fury burned deep recalling it.
But,
'Can't burden them.'
To explorers, comrade's death is shackles.
Didn't want to stain their journey with her end, ignorant as they were.
'So,'
Forget her, go far with better folk.
Regen thought that her best.
"Haa."
Vomiting stopped. Stomach felt lighter.
'Feels refreshing even. Return glow, huh.'
They say near death, senses fail, no pain. That time?
-Snap.
Staring distantly at her fingertip, Regen flicked absentmindedly.
Her mana-summoning gesture, but meaningless now.
Just habit.
Like flicking empty lighter. Squeezing spent ointment.
Yet,
-Fwoosh.
Unexpected response.
"...Huh."
Light sparked in Regen's eyes.
Blue flame bloomed at her fingertip.
Mana flow, thought impossible, pulsed there.
"What."
Felt like world's huge joke.
Deathbed miracle? Flame dies, I do? Or dead, hallucinating?
-Snap, snap.
Kept flicking.
Blue flame roared stronger.
Red forest tinged green.
"Ha."
Laughter burst.
"Haha, hahaha, hahahaha..!"
Unstoppable, like breached dam.
"Fuck, heh, what a joke... said no... and now... too embarrassing... reaaally..."
Tears flowed; laugh or cry unclear.
Comedy-tragedy border, fate's prank.
"Fuuuuck... really... heh, joke... you...?!?"
Flowed down.
Kept flowing, uncontrollably.
Chain of chance, fruit of life-sacrificed resolve: time of rewards.
A cicada returned to the forest cried with one last peel.