Chapter 657: I'm Trying to Terminate My Contract with the Goddess, but She's Obsessed[R-18] (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 657: I'm Trying to Terminate My Contract with the Goddess, but She's Obsessed[R-18] (3)
“More importantly, Verdandi.”
As I spoke, she tilted her head, a piece of fruit in her mouth.
“Do you happen to know any blacksmith gods?”
Verdandi was silent for a long moment. Only after swallowing the fruit she was chewing did she close her eyes in thought before shaking her head.
“Hmm… No. I don’t. Why are you looking for a blacksmith god?”
“I have some business with one.”
“I see. Unfortunately, I don’t know any blacksmith gods personally.”
“I understand.”
I replied nonchalantly and stood up. Verdandi continued to pick at her fruit, quietly watching my back.
I sat down at my desk and turned on the computer.
In this world, a competition called Survival was held periodically. It was a massive entertainment event, like a festival, hosted by the gods.
‘You could even call it a sport.’
It was entertainment for the gods and, at the same time, the most thrilling spectacle for humans. From regional survivals to national competitions, they existed in countless scales and forms.
The one I planned to enter this time was a Survival hosted directly by the gods. First, I had to pass the regional qualifiers.
But I had another reason for participating. It was because of Verdandi and the reward.
‘The number of bastards targeting Verdandi will increase, and just by passing the regional qualifiers, I can meet a god of my choice once.’
The gods and contractors who participated in Survival were protected by the host gods for the duration of the competition. It was an absolute rule sworn among the gods themselves. Therefore, during this period, no one could touch or kill a participant.
Just receiving this protection would guarantee a certain level of safety for Verdandi. And if I were to win the final championship, she would become completely free, with no restrictions on her activities as a goddess.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I can let my guard down.’
In the original story, the protagonist had participated in this Survival for the same reason. It was an act to block the gazes of the gods targeting Verdandi.
However, he couldn’t block them completely. There were more than enough ways to circumvent the oath.
They would immediately try to recruit or use the contractors participating in the Survival.
‘I just need to be careful of a few of them.’
I knew who was after Verdandi from reading the original story. And even besides them, other variables could exist.
There could be unpredictable people like Lucia Valencia.
‘I learned my lesson the hard way from that last incident. I can’t afford to be careless.’
I realized how foolish and complacent I had been. I had trusted the Libido App too much, lost in the arrogant belief that I could become stronger whenever I wanted.
‘I suppose I should thank Lucia Valencia for this….’
That didn’t mean I had any intention of forgiving that bitch.
I typed ‘Survival Application’ into the search bar. The screen filled with various announcements and participation rules.
Eligibility: Contractors who have a contract with a god, or those who are blessed.
Application Deadline: January 1st, Midnight
I went to the application page and began entering the required information: name, age, contract or blessing status, and a brief description of my abilities.
In the ability description field, I simply wrote that I could handle a sword. There was no need to reveal any more detail.
Once I completed the application, a message popped up on the screen.
[Your application has been successfully submitted. Eligibility screening will take place after January 1st, and you will be notified of the results individually.]
I turned off the screen and stood up.
“Seoyun-nim?”
Verdandi looked at me, a fruit basket resting on her lap.
“What is it?”
“Um… do you happen to have anything to do tonight?”
“No, nothing in particular.”
Her blue eyes sparkled strangely. She had an expression that suggested she was up to something.
“Then… would you like to go outside with me?”
“Outside?”
“Yes. I just wanted to get some fresh air. And your expression is so scary, Seoyun-nim. It looks like you need to calm your heart a little. Was that too presumptuous of me?”
At Verdandi’s cautious words, I glanced at the mirror hanging on one of the walls. My expression wasn’t so much scary as it was just emotionless and blank.
‘Is she worried about me?’
A short walk wouldn’t hurt.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
Verdandi’s face lit up.
*
The night streets were brilliantly lit with neon signs and streetlights. Like a child, Verdandi looked around in wonder.
“Wow… It’s so beautiful.”
“You think this is?”
“Yes! There was nothing like this before I fell asleep.”
She marveled at a billboard on the street. A large screen was playing an ad for a new song by an idol group.
“What are those people doing?”
“They’re singers. It’s a job where you sing and dance.”
“Wow… Their fates are sparkling.”
Verdandi stared blankly at the ad for a while, then suddenly took my hand.
“Seoyun-nim, let’s go over there!”
The place she pointed to was a 24-hour convenience store.
“A convenience store?”
“Yes! Fate is guiding me there.”
I obediently followed her into the store.
A bell chimed as the automatic doors opened. Verdandi found even that fascinating, walking in and out of the doors twice.
“It opens all by itself!”
“…It does.”
The clerk stared at Verdandi, his jaw dropping at her beauty.
Verdandi wandered around the store, looking at everything with wonder.
“Is all of this for eating?”
“Yes.”
“It’s amazing… to see so much food gathered in one place.”
She picked up a chocolate bar and examined the wrapper closely.
“How do you eat this?”
“You peel off the wrapper.”
“Ah, I see!”
Verdandi carefully tore open the wrapper and took a bite of the chocolate bar.
“You have to pay for that first—”
“Mmm… It’s so sweet!”
Her face brightened as if she had just eaten the most delicious thing in the world.
“Is it good?”
“Yes! It’s really delicious!”
A small laugh escaped my lips as I watched her.
After finishing the chocolate bar, Verdandi headed to the beverage section.
“What’s this?”
“Soda.”
“Soda…?”
“It has a fizzy taste when you drink it.”
“How fascinating. May I try it?”
“Pay for it first.”
I paid and handed her a can of cola. Verdandi examined the can from all angles, trying to figure out how to open it.
“Pull the tab on top.”
“Oh, like this?”
The can opened with a crisp sound. Verdandi cautiously took a sip.
“……!”
Her eyes went wide.
“It’s fizzy!”
“Right?”
Verdandi took several more sips of the cola, fascinated. Watching her smooth throat as she drank, I felt a surge of lust.
‘I am a saint. I am a Buddha.’
I shook my head and walked to the counter. I paid for the chocolate bar and cola Verdandi had chosen, adding a few more snacks.
When we left the convenience store, Verdandi was still sipping her cola and looking around the street.
“Seoyun-nim.”
“What?”
“Try to smile a little. Whatever is going on, if you live so rigidly, radiating killing intent and being so impatient, even things that should work out will fail.”
Verdandi said with a bright smile.
“You think I’m impatient?”
I thought of myself as calmer and colder than anyone right now. Yet she called me impatient.
“Yes. I don’t know what your goal is, but… the flow of fate I feel from you right now is too sharp and unstable. Like someone who’s afraid of losing something.”
Her blue eyes seemed to pierce right through me.
“I….”
I bit my lip unconsciously.
“If you rush like that, fate will only become more tangled. And in the end, the very thing you fear most might actually happen.”
For a moment, I wanted to scream, ‘What do you know?’ but I quickly shook my head.
‘There’s no reason to take my anger out on her.’
For some reason, I was having trouble controlling my emotions. I took a deep breath, barely managing to rein them in.
I mulled over her words. And it seemed she was right, that I had been rushing. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths.
‘Play when it’s time to play, work when it’s time to work. Keep a cool head, always stay calm—’
Just then, her hand touched my face.
“And this is something special I’m telling you, for my first contractor in a long time.”
Her sweet whisper brushed past my ear.
“If you wish to reclaim what is precious to you… before you try to become strong indiscriminately, look back on your soul. That is what’s truly important.”
My eyes shot open at her unexpected words. Before me were her sparkling blue eyes, true to her name. The goddess of fate had just ‘prophesied’ a piece of my destiny.
“Verdandi, you….”
“This much is fine.”
For the goddess of fate, she who governs the present, to forcibly prophesy the future for her contractor—there was no way it wouldn’t take a toll on her. Just looking at her trembling fingertips, I could tell she wasn’t in good condition.
I quickly supported her.
“Why the sudden favor?”
“It’s a secret,” Verdandi said, managing a weak smile.
*
When we arrived home, Verdandi seemed to have recovered quickly. She sat on the sofa and began opening the snacks we had just bought.
“Seoyun-nim, this is delicious too!”
“Glad you like it.”
I replied and lay down on the bed. My mind was completely filled with what Verdandi had told me.
‘Look back on my soul rather than just getting stronger…?’
I pondered what it could mean.
‘Is she telling me to reflect on what I’ve done until now? Or is it literal?’
Her words just made my head spin. I tried not to think about it, but it was something a god had said. I couldn’t just ignore it.
‘What on earth does it mean to look back on my soul?’
I stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
I retraced my actions up to this point.
I had violated, conquered, and possessed countless women. That was all.
I replayed all my memories, one by one. The dark memories of being sealed away for a long time in the Dungeon Conquest Chronicle, and myself before I was trapped there.
‘Kuhk….’
My head throbbed as if it would split open. I could see myself, driven mad and trapped in a sealing sphere. And in between, there were gaps in my memory, as if they were completely empty.
‘Something… is wrong.’
I felt a sense of crisis. Something was seriously, fundamentally wrong.
And just then.
Ting—
<Quest>
Kill the Goddess of Fate, Verdandi.
Quest Reward: Predation Activation
This quest felt intensely different from any I had seen before.
‘It’ll activate Predation if I kill Verdandi…?’
I was tempted for a moment, but something was strange. It was very odd for the Libido App, which had only ever given me sex-related quests, to order me to kill someone. Besides, had the Libido App ever offered such a powerful reward? Absolutely not.
Then, another message appeared before my eyes.
Ting—
[New Quest]
Have pure, loving sex with the beautiful blonde goddess, Verdandi~
Quest Reward: 10,000 Points, Clear Mirror, Still Water (明鏡止水)
Warning! Use of sex-related skills and traits such as Delicious Semen, Sexual Aura, etc., will result in automatic failure.
‘This is weird….’
It was strange that two quests with completely different vibes appeared at the same time. One told me to kill her, the other to have sex with her.
I realized something was wrong.