Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Unconscious Flag-Planting
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It was a bizarre space in every way.
One moment, rainbow hues swirled around on all sides; the next, it transformed into a forest or a meticulously tended garden, shifting its appearance every instant.
All those landscapes were hazy, giving the impression of something unreal, distant, and ethereal.
All of it... an illusion.
Yet I felt certain that somewhere in this world, they truly existed.
The beings surrounding me were just as strange.
For starters, shadows shrouded their faces, making them impossible to see.
Among them, the only ones whose features I could make out were the androgynous figure who'd mentioned the merit awards earlier and a burly middle-aged man with blue hair and a beard bulging with muscle.
I scanned the entities encircling me once more.
Roughly... thirty of them?
As expected, each silhouette was distinct.
Most took human form, but a few had shapes that were unmistakably inhuman—like snakes, spiders, or swords.
"Hmph. Nothing special."
The blue hunk spat that out and then vanished in a swipe.
...What the hell?
Sensing my bewilderment, the androgynous one let out a faint chuckle.
"Ah, don't mind him. More importantly—merit awards."
A cheerful woman's voice chimed in agreement.
"Poseidon finally joins because he wanted to see for himself, only to pull that? Artis wanted to see the kid so bad he yielded his turn. Ah, don't worry about it, sweetie. Let's get to the merit awards quick."
Merit awards.
If memory served, that meant praising achievements and bestowing rewards, right?
Rewards, then...
"Rewards related to Prostia?"
The androgynous one answered.
"Exactly. Quick on the uptake—good."
Too much of a mouthful, so I'd just call them Andro for short.
Andro spread their arms wide and declared,
"This gathering honors an unexpected calamity: the sudden descent of the divine dragon Prostia. On the danger scale, that's Da'at level. These are merit awards for the hero who thwarted it."
Da'at...?
The Tree of Sephirot...?
"Despite wielding such feeble power, you repelled Prostia with mysterious forces and unyielding willpower, splendidly protecting the ten chosen descendants at the scene. A fitting reward is in order."
"I concur~"
The cheerful woman from before chimed in again.
"We 999 debated this fiercely. We finally settled on your reward. Plus, the system's procedures are too cumbersome, so we summoned you directly—bear with us."
Hm.
I had found it odd, yeah.
The system lavishes rewards for sleeping with women.
Yeah—for something as trivial as sex!!
So after stopping a beast like Prostia, no reward? That'd be bullshit. Sure enough, one was prepared.
And the gods even argued over what to give... This was promising.
Plus, a face-to-face audience. Major VIP treatment.
Had any other Outsiders like me met gods in person?
Least of all with a crowd debating their reward.
Anyway, a rare chance for sure.
So, time to ask everything I wanted.
"Mind if I ask a few questions?"
"Go ahead. Ask away."
Whew. I swallowed, exhaled steadily, scanned them, and asked,
"Are you all... gods?"
"We are."
Whoa. Straight answer, no dodge.
I'd expected evasion—like, "If you think so, then it is..." or some cryptic bullshit.
"Then you're the ones sending system alerts and rewards normally?"
"Not quite. Can't tell you."
"...Why bring us Outsiders to this world?"
"Close, but no. A bit more merit, and we could've told you..."
What the—inviting all questions then playing hardball.
That's when a silent silhouette spoke up.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Don't get cocky...] Hisshiss.
A grating noise sent chills down my spine.
The black silhouette briefly revealed its outline: a snake.
Upper body unseen, but the serpentine tentacles of its lower half writhed enough to inspire terror.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Even conversing with us is an undeserved honor, yet you barrage us with questions? We showed mercy, and you grow arrogant...] "I see. My apologies."
Sure, gods would have that arrogance.
I'm here for rewards, no need to piss them off.
If it touched me directly, that'd be different... but for now, bend.
Then came booming laughter. The cheerful woman from before.
Swoosh. She shed her shadow, revealing a healthy, muscular physique at a glance.
Not overly bulky, though.
What to call it—sexy muscles?
Her bronzed skin amped up the allure.
Breasts looked F-cup or bigger; her outfit screamed fresh from the forge.
Forge goddess, maybe?
Shame the shadows hid her hair and face.
"That aggressive tone won't get you what you want, Plnaga."
Plnaga tsked.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Mind your own business, Heston...] "Think what you want of the kid, but I'm super expectant. And scaring a kid who stopped world-ending doom instead of praising him? Come on."
She flashed me a bright smile and waved.
Shadows lifted briefly, revealing a divinely stunning face.
Not quite Loveheart level, but the kind that stops traffic.
No makeup, pure beauty.
"Hi! Heston here."
"...Ah."
Heston—the one from the quest log, laughing heartily at Loveheart...
"Oh? You remember me?"
"Yes. You're a woman."
"Gender's iffy for gods, but yeah—womanly enough~"
Back then, text-only, I'd pegged her male.
"Ahem."
Andro, arms crossed and listening, cleared their throat to reassert presence.
"Questions done?"
"One more. You said my merits fell short—how do I earn more info?"
Andro answered promptly.
"Simple. Grow strong, make a name, topple mighty foes."
Mighty foes...?
Prostia wasn't enough? Reading my mind, Andro said,
"Shame on that front. Killing Prostia and sealing it would've been ideal, but the oath docked major points."
"I see."
"Yeah. Dead, and we'd spill every secret, willing or not."
Willing or not, my ass.
"At least wounding it would've put you on par with top Outsiders like Kalnar... or whatever. Yeah."
"......"
"Regrettable. Probably everyone's thinking it."
Everyone.
Heston mentioned votes earlier.
999. And another 999...
They voted on who sees me? Why not all 999? Some limit?
I considered asking but dropped it—gods wouldn't like prying into constraints.
"No more questions? Let's begin merit awards. Good?"
"Sorry for the time."
"No issue. Oh, and don't worry—this space's time barely affects the real world."
Barely my ass.
At least I didn't vanish from the human realm. Whew.
"Then, in the name of Olnyrist, God of Equality, I declare merit awards begun."
Olnyrist, huh. Impressive—note it.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [From me, then.] A massive shadow murmured, extending a hand toward me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Don't resist.] "...!"
A weird vibe hit; I nearly slashed it but halted.
Then my eyes widened.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Skill Acquired: Understanding of All Things] [Passive] [SP 99] [You can now 'understand' anything within the reach of divine power. Toggle on/off at will.] "Whoooaa~"
Heston yelped, eyes bulging.
"Whoa, Tetan—you're really giving that skill?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Indeed. Forge God.] "You hoarded it from your charge... Even if you hate dragons, unexpected."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [He earned it.] "True that."
...One thing's sure.
This skill's insanely good.
"The Giant gave Understanding of All Things. Greatsword and shortsword—you two?"
A human silhouette and sword silhouette. Asked, they said nothing. Auras simply emanated, drifting toward me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ryunar's Blessing has been strengthened!] [Ryunar's Blessing has been strengthened!] Ryunar's Blessing.
Probably the passive all Outsiders have—upgraded.
Wondering what improved, Olnyrist explained.
"Now strengthened, you'll resist curses and poisons even outside sex contexts."
"Ah, got it."
...Casual nod, but jackpot, right?
Huge edge against poison/curse foes.
Olnyrist wryly smiled.
"Weak as rewards go. Passing, then?"
Weak rewards?
"Hm... Balance off, so more details on that question."
"System rewards?"
"Yes. We don't give 'em directly, but we influence."
Influence, huh.
Gods and system separate entities.
Who issues quests, then?
"Excuse me—are quests decided by all gods conferring?"
"For Prostia-tier, yes. Usually, charge god or pre-recorded in system."
"Charge god...?"
Heston jumped in.
"Convenience term~ At your level, the god who brought you here. That works."
Ah. Loveheart?
.....
Wait.
All my quests so far... from her?
That haughty bitch ordering NTR on married women with living husbands, girlfriends—really?
...What the fuck is she?
Suddenly terrifying.
Shitty personality fine, but those fetishes...?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Kukuku...] .....
Whose laugh? Looked around—no clue.
Then eyes met Heston's.
"Heh."
"?"
Heston gave me a weird smirk. Why?
"Look at him. Low level confirmed? Looks fine as hell. Right, Plnaga?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [......]
Fine, huh?
Inferring: gods so potent eye contact risks danger.
"Loveheart hid you tight—curious kid~ But yeah, exceptional all around. Hey, how'd you do it?"
"Pardon?"
"Y'know. Tanking all Prostia's attacks..."
"Forge. Unfair question. Recall why we were chosen. Rewards without queries, right?"
"Yessir~ Sorry~"
Heston backed off easy, grinning at me.
Nice big sis vibe.
"So, Yedre. More questions?"
"...No."
Olnyrist eyed me, nodded.
"Curiosity sated—next rewards. Severing and Arrow—what's yours?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Planned sword severing proficiency boost... but it'd hinder him. I'll bless too.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ryunar's Blessing has been strengthened!] "Severing too... Arrow?"
"Three Ryunar blessings already. Another? Tie to your domain—for equality."
"Planned to."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Congratulations! Received Blessing of True Strike!] [Blessing of True Strike: Ranged attacks will always hit.] "......!"
Insane.
Blockable, but unavoidable.
Range TBD, but still OP.
Uses flooded my mind.
"Forge."
"Ooh, my turn!"
Heston, pumped, swung arms and approached.
Others stayed put—surprised me.
"Lemme see... Dearie me, Loveheart skimps on prospects..."
She inspected my sword, frowning.
"Upgrade this or new sword? I recommend new."
"Upgrade."
Instant reply—Heston blinked.
"Huh, no hesitation. Better ones than that junk?"
Junk, huh... Fuck you, Loveheart.
Almost spilled everything, but nah.
Exposing her to gods? Likely light slap—arms bend inward.
I'll handle her personally later.
Inner rage blazing, outer grin jaunty.
"Familiar weapon's best."
"Hmmm~ Real reason?"
Mischievous look.
I grinned back.
"Once I use something, I wanna stick with it to the end."
"Ahahaha! Love it! Sword-lovers rock! Fine—I'll upgrade stepwise! First..."
She drew hammer.
Instant—clangclangclang! Blinding speed hammered my sword.
Stunned briefly, she said,
"Decent level now. Like it? I'll forge personally often. Oh, Equality—Sublime asked me to sub reward."
"Sublime... Busy lately. Go ahead."
"OK~ Blessing it is!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Congratulations! Received Blessing of the Forge God!] [Her blessing maxes your craftsmanship; weapons you touch gain superior functions. Rest is up to you.] "......"
Jackpot.
Self-sufficient gear now.
Games fine, but real crafting? Meh.
Pondering futures, Olnyrist snapped me back.
"Next, me. Naga."
The snake that threatened me.
Naga...? Nickname?
Wait—others called by domains: Forge, Equality.
Remember calling snake monsters naga. Snake god?
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [...I'll grant summoning authority.] "What?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [How you use it is on you.] Cackling, Naga spewed inky darkness.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Granted Summoning Authority!] [What you summon is up to you.] ...What is this?
"Vague gift..."
"Up to you" and Olnyrist's words scream ambiguity. What can I summon?
And will it be friendly?
"Last one. My turn."
"Eh, yes?"
Glanced around—plenty gods left.
Olnyrist smiled faintly.
"What? Thought everyone here rewards you?"
"Frankly, yeah."
"Fair assumption. Prostia feat's mythic... but all interested gods rewarding you overpowers other Outsiders—inequitable. Thus, eight rewards, per your name."
Equality god loves equality.
Makes sense—too easy, no fun.
These alone eye-popping.
Plus biggest left.
High-rank god—huge gift incoming.
Olnyrist stroked chin, decided, eyed me.
"My gift... Yes. Equality."
"Pardon?"
Before repeat—ding.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Granted authority of consumable skill 'Equality'.]
No description.
What? Olnyrist explained.
"In dire unfairness, once—it equalizes. Use wisely."
Wisely, huh.
I dig utility skills—satisfied.
But weird vibe.
Heston gawking, others—even Plnaga—shocked.
"Whoa...""N-No way, that..."
...That good?
Reactions scream broken power.
Sure to find use.
"Thank you."
"No prob. Equal to your feats."
Rumble rumble rumble.
Scenery rippled.
Ending mood.
They dissolved into light, landscapes warping.
Rare god-meet—kinda sad.
"Wait! One last question!"
Said "last" myself—hope ok... Kind Olnyrist nodded.
"Shoot."
"What's Prynar?!"
Ten heroes' wish.
This world's name.
My academy.
Olnyrist paused blankly, then chuckled.
"Sharp."
"Huh?"
"Means 'pure one'."
"......?"
"Personally, hope it's you."
BOOM!
Light exploded away.
Regaining senses—guild rooftop.
...Pure one.
Why? It lingered.
Light still pouring illusion—reached out.
...Something squishy?
"Ugh... uhh."
Shedding membrane, Asita appeared.
Glasses off—stifling beauty before me, my hand... on nape...
...Holy shiiiiit!!
Wished tits, but beggars can't.
Asita slapped hand away, fuming.
"Wh-Why reach out suddenly?! Y-You knew I was here, pervert!"
"No, coincidence... Sorry."
Why Asita here, how long—later. Apologize first.
But.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Repel Prostia! Issuing all related achievements and quest rewards.] Rewards not over.