A Naked Goddess in My Bed
The apostle of [Darkness], the goddess lying naked on the bed. Min-su's thoughts froze for a moment.
What the hell? Seriously, what the hell? Why is this goddess lying naked in my bed? Is this a dream too? A dream within a dream? Just how far does the dream go?
Thankfully, Min-su himself wasn't naked. He quickly opened his status window to check his skills. The cooldown from yesterday's summoning hadn't ended yet. Which meant the [Dark Lord] Rijet right in front of him wasn't from his summoning skill.
A goddess here without using the summoning skill? ...Am I still trapped in that underground prison?
Startled, Min-su looked around, but the bright sunlight streaming through the window confirmed it was his room.
"Mmm..."
Had his movement woken her? The girl, curled up asleep, opened her eyes.
"...Heehee, my apostle."
Spotting Min-su's face, she immediately clung to him. Min-su could feel the warm heat and delightful fragrance emanating from her bare skin. And that beauty beyond anything of this world. If Plato had seen this sight, wouldn't he have cried out "Idea!"?
"...What."
Her drowsy, hazy eyes fixed on Min-su, then gradually widened.
"Why... are you... like that...?"
Following his gaze downward, she froze solid. An awkward silence filled the room.
"Kyaaah!"
"W-Wait, Goddess! If you do that, my room's gonna blow away!"
Bzzzzt! A bolt of black lightning crashed down into Min-su's room.
[Darkness Quilt]
Her face flushed beet red, the [Dark Lord] wrapped herself in a black quilt conjured from her authority. She wanted to make her usual outfit, but for some reason she couldn't, so she'd settled for this quilt shape.
"So, you came to and suddenly you were in my bed?"
"Yeah... I opened my eyes, and there I was."
She hadn't even thanked him yet for saving her from the curse in her mental world, and now this. The goddess was utterly confused.
O-Of course, thanking him with my body isn't bad! My community friends said to apologize to guys with your body! N-No, wait! Then my apostle would think I'm easy! I don't want that!
In the past, she wouldn't have reacted so strongly to just being seen naked. She'd lived a life far from the emotion of shame, and for a constellation, the flesh held little meaning.
But because of last night? Showing her bare body felt so embarrassing. Especially to him—she felt like she'd look utterly ugly.
This emotion was a first in her life.
"...Thank you, Min-su."
The girl expressed her gratitude, cheeks still rosy.
"Thanks to you, I snapped out of it. Without you, I'd have given in to that voice and sealed myself away."
Her apostle, appearing to save her from the curse—like a prince rescuing a kidnapped princess from a fairy tale.
"...It was just the obvious thing to do."
Min-su averted his gaze, feeling sheepish.
"What was that voice? It felt like someone else's will was embedded in it."
At first, he'd thought [Darkness] might be the culprit, trying to corrupt or monopolize her by isolating her from the world. But [Darkness] had helped him save her, like it was begging him to drive away the thing tormenting its master.
"I don't know. I have no idea what happened."
Then what the hell was that voice? Someone trying to manipulate her? A constellation, no less? ...His head was starting to hurt. Wasn't this too much for a newbie player who'd only been to the Tower once?
"But that voice is gone from me now. You erased it all. Thank you, my apostle."
He hadn't brought it up to fish for thanks, but okay. Min-su scratched his head awkwardly.
"How did you get into my mental world, Min-su?"
"Mental world?"
Oh, that prison from last night.
"No idea. I just fell asleep and there I was."
Because of the summoning ability? ...He'd never heard of a summon entering a summon's dream or mind.
Too much unknown info. What the hell was going on?
Even what he'd done in that dream didn't make sense to him. Controlling the [Darkness Legion] at will, showing her the voices of people offering thanks, and finally blasting [Darkness Lightning] with her. Him, who'd barely managed to create one knight.
Y-Yes! Min-su and I are connected by fate!
Rijet thought otherwise.
He came into my mental world without knowing, just because I was in crisis! To save me! We're destined from the beginning!
"What? You can't use your powers?"
Min-su had gotten an explanation of her current state.
"Yeah. I'm not in constellation form right now. More like... me from back when I was human?"
[Darkness] authority flowed through Rijet's body, but its density was far below what she'd shown before.
"No, you seem weaker than before. ...Yeah. It's exactly like your power level, Min-su."
The weak lightning she'd zapped in surprise hadn't even singed the bed. She couldn't make a single outfit to cover herself. The [Darkness] authority inside her was the one Min-su had received from her.
She'd lost her omnipotence that always filled her body. But she liked this body better now. Sharing power with Min-su. It felt like they'd become one physically. The lost power wasn't a big deal—he'd grow stronger, and she'd get it back.
A constellation growing alongside her apostle. Ah, how romantic.
Huh? That's not good.
Unlike her thoughts, Min-su's expression hardened.
Shouldn't this be a power-up event? Why weakened?
From her abandonment by her parents to overcoming the curse tormenting her—he'd beaten it. Shouldn't she be stronger now? Awaken as [Neo Dark Lord] or something! For such a mighty god to weaken to normal levels. It wasn't like she'd exorcised a ghost and ascended.
He didn't want to accept this reality.
Wait. If the goddess is here... what happens if I use the summoning ability on her?
It was an ability to summon her from the Tower's heavens. But for some reason, she'd escaped the Tower in human form and come to Earth. Would it just teleport her around Earth now?
He felt stupid for getting excited about summoning gods yesterday.
"Then try it once."
That was her response when he explained.
"Huh?"
"If you use that ability, I might go back to the Tower."
"...But if you do."
He knew from her how horrific the Tower's heavens were. He didn't want that, just in case.
"It's fine. Summoning's only temporary, right? Just release it after. And more importantly, I have stuff to post to my community buddies there."
What reactions would come if she posted about escaping the Tower to Earth? After 10 years as a troll, she couldn't resist.
"So do it now."
"...Okay."
Under her urging, Min-su activated his summoning ability, cooldown finally over.
"Summon."
Woooong!
As usual, space split and the goddess's butt popped out... no. Thud! Massive [Darkness] poured from Rijet.
"Eh?"
[Dark Lord] panics and rapidly absorbs the surging [Darkness] power inward.
She was no longer human. Her rank shot up in an instant. She was once again the constellation [Dark Lord].
"Ah?"
Even Min-su gaped, unable to process. Then—
Kaboom!
Black lightning struck from the sky. Min-su's room filled with smoke in seconds.
"Step back, pervert."
As the smoke cleared, Min-su spotted a woman standing protectively in front of the [Dark Lord]. Ponytail, toned body honed by endless training. Sword raised, cloaked in [Darkness] aura... a familiar sight.
Though it was their first meeting, Min-su knew who she was.
"...Idaine the player?"
The beauty he'd seen as a statue at her memorial and in videos glared at him moments ago.