15. The Reward is Sweet
15. The Reward is Sweet
It had been a hard day.
Today was also a meaningful day in many ways, a day I could shed my past self and become a new me.
"....Heuheut."
Ah, hold on a moment.
First, let me just kick the blanket once.
"Heu... heuheut, heuheehee!"
Once felt a bit lacking.
Twice, three times. I flailed my hands and smacked the blanket, pang-pang.
"Heuheut-heut-heut-heut-heut-heut!"
Ah, I shouldn't be doing this.
I should just go straight to sleep or something.
Ah geez, this really doesn't go easily the way I want it to.
[So hey.... Ur's place here, is it tasty?]
"It was delicious-hong....!"
Ur's voice suddenly echoed in my ear.
Our bodies were clearly apart, but it felt as if our souls were close—should I put it that way?
Until just moments ago, the sensation of holding a woman's body in both arms had felt so real it drove me crazy.
You know how normal guys, euh? They say that after doing it once, a sage time definitely comes, right?
But for me, it wasn't once, it felt like I'd done it at least three times—sage time? There was none of that crap.
There was no feeling drained or anything; my whole body and heart were just completely fulfilled.
"Hyaa......"
Suddenly, the world just started looking beautiful to me.
Perhaps this world is one worth living in after all?
And there was further evidence that breathed even more certainty into this thought.
"Is it real life that I even got her number?"
Of course, rather than me getting her number, she was the one who gave it to me, but that didn't matter to me.
What mattered now was only the future where I'd probably go to the karaoke again next Sunday and spend another hot night with Ur.
This time, I'd be going straight to Ur's house without any interruptions, and we'd play as hard as we truly could—so was my mouth made so that the sound 'heueung' just can't come out right now?
"Ehee.... hee.... eheehee....!"
If someone criticizes loveless yasu as merely a vulgar act for sexual satisfaction, ruled by instinct, I would dare to say:
Rather than platonic love that only has love, eros-driven sex without love is closer to human nature.
Based on this, I could once again declare:
"....Fucking sex!"
I was, right now, very human.
As I bounced my pelvis with all my might, the bed sheet sprang back pleasantly.
As I subtly pressed and rubbed my hips, somehow the memories from a few hours ago seemed to bloom vividly anew—
"You are committing a vulgar act, my child."
".....Eung-eh?"
—Why was Cronus appearing here?
...
..
.
The relationship between god and apostle.
The relationship between god and devotee.
Unlike Catholicism or Christianity, the relationship between gods and devotees in this game strictly followed a give-and-take method.
The god bestowed power upon the devotee, and the devotee became the god's hands and feet, carrying out the god's will.
And taking it a step further, if one reached the 'apostle' level, one was also granted the opportunity to directly face the god.
"I also cannot deny it, having experience myself, but remember well: if you toy with your cock as a cock, you'll get fucked over."
".............."
Without being surprised or anything, Cronus looked at me with eyes that seemed to say, 'Well, that can happen.'
Come to think of it, Cronus himself was a man, so he must have had all kinds of experiences from his male days.
On top of that...
"I am the living proof of that....."
"....Oh boy."
...That's some hellish persuasiveness.
Anyway, the reason Cronus called me to his palace was none other than—
"My apostle. My child. You have superbly accomplished my karma."
"......Yep."
A rank up.
He apparently called me to enhance the protection given to me.
Cronus rose from his throne and approached me.
"At first, I merely treated you as an abandoned child."
"Since I had lost all my influence from the start, I could not wish for much."
"I simply thought I would be satisfied if I could land a blow against those wretched immoral bastards and that detested Zeus."
However, my apostle. My child.
You always showed me more than I ever wished for.
"At first, I merely scoffed. I smirked, wondering how far you would go."
"But next, I admired, and beyond that, you even brought me pure 'joy'."
How many times in my life had I ever smiled like that?
Cronus reached out his hand and lifted my chin up as I knelt.
"So—speak. What is it that you desire from me?"
Do you desire mighty power that can seize the world?
Or if not, a beauty of enchanting beauty that topples nations?
Perhaps, if not that either, do you wish to become the richest man under heaven?
"Whatever it is you desire, I can bestow it upon you, so simply tell me."
"................."
Was this, a bargaining angle?
An angle where I could negotiate a bit, make a deal?
'....Wake up, man.'
Regrettably, I had seen too many shitty things to harbor any hope for this.
For example, the trash bastard who subtly asked if anything was bothering me, and when I honestly told him what was bothering me, he made my words gather beneath his own above me and threw them right back at me.
I bowed my head once more and spoke to Cronus.
"I desire nothing at all. Just please remain in that seat as you always have. Watch over me and support me, hasoseo."
"....What a clever child you are. On top of that, the gaze that does not covet my authority pleases me most of all."
What did he say when I was 'me' but not you?
"I recall you said—let me hold you in my arms. At least, a leashed companion dog that has realized its collar is fastened is far better than a one-day-old puppy from back then."
".............."
This bastard really doesn't seem like a normal person.
How on earth do you get your junk cut off, get forcibly TS'd, and then pull a 'Yo! Gimme a hug!' on the divine being?
Thinking it was a wonder he didn't die instantly on the spot, Cronus spoke as if reading my mind.
"Well, it was quite absurd and amusing enough to watch even when you were a one-day-old puppy."
".........Uhm."
So he let it slide because it was dumbfounding and fun.
Cronus sat back upon his throne and spoke to me.
"Raise your head."
"My apostle. My child."
"You have always satisfied me, so I too must repay you accordingly."
Cronus stretched out his hand towards me.
A dark-colored mist-like substance spread from his hand and began to seep into me.
"This is hence a part of me."
A portion of the mist slowly began gathering in my eye.
A sensation of something settling deep inside my eye. A ticklish feeling, a sensation of my vision distorting.
"In the future, you shall see the same things as I do."
"────Ah."
For a moment, my consciousness blurred.
My body collapsed with a thud.
What I saw beyond my vacant vision was—
[The Eye of Cronus]
-An eye that holds the divinity of Cronus.
-All things are imbued with time, so you may see it.
-Trait: Past Sight (You can consume time to see the past.)
-Trait: Present Sight (You can see information etched into time.)
-Trait: Future Sight (You can consume time to see the future.)
"Utterly broken.....!"
So there was a reason the NTR villains got beaten every time.
*****************
Relocation Exam
Event──Survival
Survive on the island designated by the academy for approximately 5 days.
1. 10p granted per day survived.
2. Points can be acquired through gathering, hunting, and various other activities.
3. Supplies necessary for survival may be brought. However, 10p deducted per kg (equipment excluded).
4. In the event of fatal injury or similar harm, the protection attached to the bracelet detects it, and a teacher is dispatched.
5. Points are evaluated on a relative curve and can be traded or exchanged.
That was the content of the tutorial relocation exam up to there.
What anyone could guess at a glance to get a good score was that you just had to not die and bring nothing with you.
"...Cadet Chrono. What is that on your back?"
"It's luggage."
"Are you aware that it's a 10p deduction per kg?"
"I am aware."
The teacher weighed my bag.
The total weight of the bag was──about 10 kg.
"Chrono, 100 points deducted."
"Yes."
I received my bag back and shouldered it onto my back.
As soon as I stepped onto the boat where the cadets were──Mars came running straight toward me.
"...Did you really bring all that?"
"Yeah. There's no particular problem with it."
"What do you mean no problem!"
How many points got deducted?
About 70 points or so?
Fuuuck.... is 70 points the name of some neighbor's dog or something...!
She looked like she was panicking in real time, so I corrected myself for Mars.
"Not 70 points deducted. They said 100 points deducted."
"That's even worse!"
Eu-ah-ah-ah-ah!
Mars clutched her head and screamed.
It wasn't even her own score being deducted, so why was she yelling like that?
As I gazed at Mars, who was shouting at the top of her lungs, as if looking at a strange animal, Yuno approached me at some point and asked:
"Chrono... did you give up on the exam?"
"Since I'm aiming for Class B."
"Aha....."
If I was only aiming for Class B, there was no problem in skipping this exam.
Since I'd defeated the boss in the dungeon experience, the minimum limit was already set anyway.
However, if I just skipped the exam entirely, I'd fall to Class C for non-attendance, so you could see this as an unavoidable participation to avoid that.
"But by that logic, isn't there no reason to pack luggage? You could just call for rescue as soon as you arrive..."
"That's true enough. But to do that would be such a waste."
"A waste? What is?"
If you ask what was a waste—
I pointed at the island growing closer and said.
"A vacation opportunity."
"Ehk......."
Calling it a vacation when it was a survival exam—
She looked at me as if to ask what nonsense I was spouting, but I spoke with considerable sincerity.
"The mountains are nice, the water's nice. The ocean is wide open. How great is that?"
"....Haaa, I give up."
Just don't get raided by other cadets later.
Yuno's tone was unusually prickly for her character.
It seemed like she probably wanted to scold me for not taking the exam seriously, but as I said before, I had already cleared the boss monster in the tutorial dungeon.
There was no longer any reason for further effort anywhere.
'Well, the more stuff I bring, the higher the encounter rate gets, but...'
After wandering around a few times with Mars and Yuno, I was able to gain certainty.
"Even if it's fast, is it faster than a bullet?"
In some ways, it was a prediction you could call complacent.
But to click your tongue and call it complacent...
"I shoot if you move?"
"....I surrender."
...Survival, about Day 3.
A total of 6 people kneeled before the gun barrel.
I had more than recouped the 100 points I'd blown away on the first day.