Black and White
'Don't take stuff from strangers when Dad's not around...'
If it had just drifted around the world as some lost item with no one the wiser, we'd both have been happier....
The Evil God, who so casually exploited human kindness and purity, felt even more loathsome today.
'Daddy~ Finally figuring it out~' I was belting out a solo tune when Shasha stared at me like I was some lunatic. No face on her, but that's exactly how it felt.
"...What? Do I look like a crazy bastard?"
[Oh, she's more self-aware than I thought.]
"If you suddenly ended up stranded on a deserted island alone, you'd spout all kinds of nonsense too, Shasha."
No matter how Luagwen saw it, I'd rambled nonsense to my heart's content. I'd scarfed down three bowls of porridge Alice brought me. Slept a nap because I was tired. But the glass bottle from the Evil God was still right there.
That's right. I'd run out of excuses to put it off.
'I really don't wanna...'
The storage shelf by my bed. Top compartment held a reward from an unidentified illegal alien. Before I knew, it just seemed like some ShashaX racist black edition perfume or whatever.
Now that I knew? It felt like the bottle was leaking weird radiation.
Hmm. Was I exposed? How the hell do I dispose of this thing? After agonizing over it, I finally decided to ping Luagwen for help.
"Feels like your boss gave me this."
[Boss?]
"The Evil God."
[Ah.]
A pretty lukewarm reaction, honestly. Usually "Evil God" conjures up fanatic cultist vibes or something. I figured she'd freak out and try to bolt from my body... Plan failed.
[You took it, so use it. Why are you stalling?]
"You think I'd just use it without knowing what might happen?"
My goal from the start—hell, right now—was pure survival. Getting stronger was fine as long as I could escape if someone noticed. No point sticking out like a sore thumb and getting hammered flat.
Better to live long and thin, unnoticed, than bulk up and become a person of interest.
[So you're just gonna keep it in the orphanage?]
"Uh...."
With kids around...? Yeah, no.
[Plus, if someone finds out you have something bestowed by the Goddess herself? They'd love that.]
"...What if I just toss it secretly?"
[You wanna risk tossing it and who knows what happens?]
The guy bitten by radiation-spider became a friendly neighborhood hero. Someone hit by radiation-cult vibes might turn into something similar....
[You seem dumber than usual today.]
"Hing...."
Nothing clever came to mind. Why was Luagwen's IQ spiking today? Options dwindling, I got antsy.
[There's no such thing as "strong enough." You stepped in this far—no turning back.]
"But I don't even know how to use it...."
[It's holy oil. Pour it over your head.]
Figured the suspiciously good-smelling black stuff was oil. Lee Seoha's escape attempt ended in 1,000 characters flat, novel-style.
Any more foot-dragging, and I doubted the Evil God would leave my limbs intact. Popped the lid and dumped it straight on my head.
'Creepy as hell.'
Cold, slimy touch hit my skin, morphing into a bizarre sensation. Plenty in that tiny bottle—more than it looked. Drenched me like a waterfall.
'Done?'
No more dripping down my face, so I cracked my eyes open. Contrary to expectations of oil-smeared mess, my clothes were pristine as ever.
'Where...?'
But everything else had changed. Pitch black. Swimming deep in the ocean.
"Am I dead?"
Not a new sensation. Right after my first death. Swimming in the sea. Pondering if I was chimp or jellyfish—that vibe.
"Maybe it was poison, not oil...."
Swim hard, maybe backtrack to Earth? Futile. Body wouldn't budge; exhaustion hit first. By the time I paced my breaths, half-willing, I observed closer.
"Octopus?"
Not pure black—black and white coexisted. Flickers in the inky black revealed white cracks.
"Gyaack!!"
Weird noise I'd never heard—screamed on instinct.
'Brain-eating sound.'
Best description. Bug type? Scanned around for the maniac making it, but pointless. Maybe the space itself was the Evil God.
"Urghaaah!!"
Instinctively clutched my face. My face! My face!!! Intact...? How does hearing shred your face? Half-serious—my soul wore down more than first hit. More, and I'd jellyfish out.
"...Sorry, but could you get to the point?"
Agony forcing my mouth open before a higher being. Can't end up buddies with sponge and hamster.
The Evil God got human pain? Tentacle (or whatever) wiggled.
'That's a yes?'
Didn't suddenly get woman's heart as woman; no tentacle heart without being one. Black shadow tentacles wrapped me—hoping goodwill.
"If it's near my body, yeah, I see...."
Pfsh!
"Gyaack!"
Stabbed? Stabbed? Stabbed? Stabbed? Stabbed? Tentacle pierced my face. But right eye pain—real or phantom? Dizzying.
Clutched face—no blood. Just black liquid dripping from hole.
'At least warn a guy.'
Guts twisting. Face stabbed, why innards knotting?
"Wait...."
No time to speak. Mouthless tentacle swallowed me. Body weight returned—back to reality.
One blink. Back to reality. Black-and-white world like a dream; world burst with colors.
'Vision fine...'
Blinked—no issues. Normal.
"I wasn't out for a week again, right?"
[About 30 seconds.]
"Phew, good...."
Any more lost time, I'd throw a tantrum crying.
[Meet the Goddess?]
"...Probably."
[How was she?]
"...First time I'm thrilled to meet someone who can string three words together."
What changed? Body felt lighter, maybe. Like leveling at 1 HP to full.
Got up, mirror—refreshed for sure.
"Shasha. How do I look?"
[You look like me.]
Mirror me—Luagwen—looked fine. Expected eye change; same golden eyes. Hmm. Still venomous glare. Good.
But not zero change. Focused, furrowed brow—something shifted.
"...I'm not stinking, am I...?"
Looks normal, but pitch-black smoke rising from my body.... Definitely not mana.
'Not burning...'
No Luagwen special roast. Spun—no oddities. No heat.
'Then what?'
From my body, so mana-like? Tried pulling smoke in like mana circulation. Punched—ordinary fist.
Wondering, Luagwen, who'd watched, piped up.
[No Goddess power felt.]
"You mean...?"
No way.
[Maintain that, and only top church brass would sniff us out.]
.... Jackpot. Jackpot!
"This changes everything!"
[Back to normal now.]
Control Evil God aura?!
'Meet again, I'll plant one on her lips.'
...If I could find her mouth.
[Still gotta offer sacrifices.]
"How's that the same?! Sudden death risk just dropped!"
Luagwen had no worries—no backup. But innocent citizen Lee Seoha? Massive stress. Walking street, "Pardon, but you look like an orphan-selling heretic. Inquisition?" Heart in throat!
Thank estrogen overload; if original body, cause of death: sudden or bald.
"World suddenly looks beautiful."
Perched orphanage window. Harp would've been nice—no instruments here. Gorgeous day. Birds chirping, flowers blooming.... Outer world, missed from busyness, stunning today.
"Heh. Sunset...."
Director's office window overlooks cityscape. Nobles' bustle to back-alley slums, orphanage in between—all visible. Disconnected worlds, but fresh eyes revealed one thing.
"...That's not a fire, right...?"
[Nope.]
Every horizon visible—ablaze. Black smoke blanketing sky.
"Then all this smoke...?"
Not disaster—one meaning for all that smoke.
"Evil Gods...?"
Evil Gods still lurked.
Why the Evil God gave this power.
...Things were about to get busy.