4
Chapter 4
"Great! I, Kanto, shall lead a group of skilled warriors at dawn to crush those monsters!"
Kanto, his confidence restored, let out a hearty laugh and thumped his chest.
If nothing else, he seems like he'd be quite the fighter.
The thought of a giant over two meters tall slaughtering animals with a double-edged axe sent a shiver down my spine.
- I look forward to it.
Regardless of anything else, Kanto is currently my strongest asset.
My future depends on exactly how strong he is.
Come on, Kanto, earn me some good points. Please let him be stronger than some random wandering Holy Knight who just got possessed.
- It is late. I shall focus on my recovery.
It was time to send away the two siblings who believed I was Loa.
I needed to rest today. Too much had happened in a single day.
I was mentally exhausted. I needed a good, refreshing sleep.
Assuming this body is even capable of sleeping, that is.
"We shall take our leave now."
With those words, Paya and Kanto left the Altar.
I shifted my gaze toward the mirror.
A coiled Dragon Totem with shimmering blue eyes.
Like a gargoyle from a fantasy game, it was unable to move—a totem in the most literal sense.
I gently closed one eye. More accurately, I acted upon the sensation of closing my eye.
One of the glowing eyes of the totem in the mirror vanished, and half of my vision was blocked. Maybe I can actually sleep?
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to drift off.
***
- Hmm...
When I opened my eyes, bright sunlight welcomed me.
I actually managed to fall asleep.
If I had been in a body that couldn't even sleep, I would have truly gone insane.
Or I would have become a ghost, haunting online communities twenty-four hours a day.
Whew, I feel a bit refreshed after that nap.
Right, what's the big deal about being possessed into a game?
I don't have to get my ass kicked by the convenience store manager anymore, nor do I have to deal with customers who turn into dogs after drinking.
I won't have to run into my ex on the street, and my parents' constant nagging to find a job is finally over.
So... let's try to stay as positive as possible.
Whining and crying won't help. Actually, I'm in a better spot than most.
At least I don't have to starve in a cave and fight those monsters called Infected.
I'm treated like a god and living in comfort.
Sure, I lost my physical pleasures as a trade-off, but I'd rather be a quadriplegic than live in constant fear for my life.
Maybe if I keep racking up points, I'll get a new body.
Before long, Kanto arrived.
"Lord Mallak! Everything is prepared! I shall strike them down with the tribe's finest warriors!"
Kanto was clad in leather armor with something like a cloak draped over it; he looked like a cross between a barbarian and a Native American warrior you'd see in fiction.
Behind him stood about twenty men and women, looking more like seasoned serial killers than skilled swordsmen, staring at me in a line.
Should I call it a look of respect?
Either way, the deep scars on their faces and bodies make them look quite reliable.
"We shall offer Mallak the blood and flesh of our enemies!"
"We will bring terror to those who defiled the mountains left to us by our ancestors!"
"For our faith, and for the glory promised by Loa!"
"I shall not return until my axe is stained red!"
"I will tear them to shreds!"
They're all so excited. They really love fighting.
Is it because they see this as a holy war ordered by a god?
I gave them a few brief words of encouragement and sent them on their way.
While waiting, I thought about checking the community, but as I shifted my gaze, I saw Paya watching from a distance.
Does she have something to say?
- What is it?
Only then did Paya hesitantly step forward and stand before me. Looking at her again, she's still just a child with baby fat on her cheeks.
Maybe mid-to-late teens? Did the camouflage cream she wore yesterday make her look more mature?
"...How is the totem?"
- ...
Asking how this wooden statue body is? It's just okay.
I can't exactly tell her, 'I feel like a quadriplegic who can only blink.'
Is she asking if her aesthetic sense is okay?
When I didn't respond, Paya spoke again.
"I carved it from the Divine Tree that had stood for over three hundred years. I used all the wisdom left by our ancestors. It may not be perfect, but I put my heart and soul into it."
I don't know what kind of wisdom is needed to carve a piece of wood, but since she worked hard, I might as well praise her.
- It is fine. You did well.
"...I see. Please call for me when you need something."
Paya left with a bright smile. She looked like a daughter who wanted her father to acknowledge her.
Come to think of it, the parents of these two siblings are nowhere to be seen.
...Their family situation is not something I should worry about right now.
I accessed the community.
[Ppu Ppu Ppung: Are the NPCs from the game here too? Has anyone seen them?] (1)
[Balo Malo: I am sick of this. I am finished.] (5)
[Dino Punch: 155th Gathering Diary]
[Rising Phoenix: Holy Knights love random games!]
[I Trusted the Monkey Uncle: Real-time Holy Knight... Giant Monster discovered...] (4)
[Not a Netkama: Anyone tried torturing a Demon Worshipper?]
[Love Death Nyan: (In Multiverse-5826 world) Nyan nyan nyan nyan!]
[Princess Dina: Are there no more information posts being uploaded...]
[Jet Kick: The guy above, this place became a mental asylum ages ago, why are you still talking about info posts?]
[Odo-daejangbu: Today's Holy Knight Meal.JPG]
[Holy Holy Knight: Let us fight for justice! To those fighting for justice today! Perhaps you are an example for all Holy Knights?]
A lot of new posts had been uploaded in the meantime.
Most were useless, but seeing nicknames I recognized from yesterday gave me a strange sense of comfort.
Now, should I look for a way to change my nickname?
I decided to use the [Search] window, which I had not used yesterday.
I blinked to type in the word nickname.
Too many results came up, so I typed in nickname change, but this time there were too few.
Is this the post explaining how to change it?
[Titi Ppangppang: How to change your nickname (Warning: Long post)]
As you know, this community is completely different from a normal internet site.
This is not a community created by humans using computers, but by the game developers who presumably possessed us into this game.
Therefore, it is only natural that nickname changes cannot be done through ordinary methods.
First, with your eyes open, move your eyeballs up and down. Repeat this five or more times.
Next, close your eyes, open them, and repeat step one.
This time, move your eyeballs from right to left. Repeat this five or more times as well.
Next, close your eyes, open them, and repeat the previous process.
Then, rub your palms together to warm them up, cup your hands as if holding an egg, and lightly cover your eyes.
Finally, while covering your eyes (keep them open), slowly rotate your pupils clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Alternate five times.
Now you have learned a simple eye exercise.
I hope you reflect on being a terrible master who abuses their own eyes by browsing the community all day and do these exercises once a day.
And the way to change your nickname...
Holy Knight, lol, there's no such thing, lol.
The nickname you chose!!!
This game you chose!!!
No matter what happens!!!!!
Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will not be changed, Holy Knight, lololol.
Do you think I'd keep the name Titi Ppangppang if I could change it??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You fell for it, didn't you? So excited to change it that your pants got wet? Now you've got nothing and you're just pissed, right?
But what are you going to do about it? What can you even do, you newbie lol? Besides cursing me while killing a Demon Worshipper nearby, what else can you possibly do lol]
What a complete lunatic.
I was actually following along until the middle...!
I wanted to let out a stream of curses, but I held back because there were many tribe kids glancing at me around the Altar.
There would be no sight more horrific than a worshipped god having a fit and spewing obscenities.
[Not a Netkama: Such a predictable template. Boring development. It's obvious he just copied a few famous ones and slapped them together. A 2 out of 10 for bait. Only kids or old people would laugh at this or get tricked into getting angry. Go learn more]
I really don't like the comment below either.
That guy Not a Netkama, isn't he the one who left a hate comment on my post yesterday?
Turns out he's a professional troll. I'll have to be careful.
I put the guy on my personal blacklist and checked the status window next to the community.
Some time has passed, so maybe I've gathered at least a few points?
[Name: Mallak]
- Available Blessings: (There are blessings to learn!)
- Available Points: 250
- Vassal: Paya
- Enter Community
250 points? It's increased eight times since earlier?
Damn it, Kanto! I knew I could count on you!
It says I can learn a blessing. I blinked to click the (There are blessings to learn!) window.
I'm not sure if clicking with my eyes is the right way to describe it, but anyway.
[Totem of Healing (Low): Slightly heals believers within a 100-meter radius. Greatly increases natural recovery.]
Why on earth is it a totem...
The name of the blessing is so underwhelming. Not Divine Healing or Loa's Healing, but Totem of Healing.
At this point, I'm not Loa, I'm just Totem Man. I'm not some stationary support tool.
Is this really a god-tier job?