Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Prologue
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A wide alleyway where studio apartments clustered together cozily.
It was while I was dragging my weary body home from work, taking one step at a time.
As I walked along staring at the ground, I sensed a presence and looked up to find a strange woman blocking my path.
She had dull pink hair and hollow, lifeless eyes.
I wondered if my own eyes looked just as similar.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"I approached you because I saw an aura of good fortune. I am..."
"Fuck off, namu amida butsu."
"......"
I could tell even without looking that she wasn't some proper cultist. She seemed like one of those scammers invoking unknown ancestors to extort money for rituals, so in a fit of anger, I cut her off, put some distance between us, and tried to walk past.
"Wait! I'm not that kind of person!"
"What are you saying? You're not that kind of person, you're just a studying student, so should I buy you a drink and chat? Please, just go away."
I had no idea why these con artist cultists—who usually swarmed train stations or crowded areas, preying on the naive or tourists to smear their country's reputation—were lurking in this deserted alley of studio apartments.
I stole their signature line from the annoying cultists and was about to pass by when she desperately called out again.
"My name is!"
🌀 REVELATION 🌀 Aparsec As she opened her mouth, a resonant hum like a bell tolling in my head rang out, and the word Aparsec was etched into my mind.
A buzzing resonance echoed through my head.
I couldn't collect my thoughts, staggering as if I might collapse, when her voice rang out again from the woman before me.
"Please call me Par casually."
Only then did the resonance fade, leaving my head throbbing as I pressed my thumb firmly against my temple.
"Par...?"
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Han Ga-eul."
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I am Par, the divine spirit who supports one corner of Heavenly Peach."
I had no clue what Heavenly Peach was or what a divine spirit meant, and now this bizarre phenomenon like the resonance...
My heart sank.
"Uh... So, what business does a divine spirit have with me?"
"I must protect Heavenly Peach through cycles of birth and death, but the fruit of this life fell prematurely as Fallen Fruit and was not granted proper life from Heavenly Peach."
The conversation plunged deeper into a labyrinth, leaving me dazed as I blankly listened to her continue.
"My early death comes before the birth of new fruit, causing Heavenly Peach's axis to shift and lead to collapse."
"To prevent this, I sought a devotee to sustain my life until the new birth."
"Most humans are too attached to be suitable, but you, Han Ga-eul, have few attachments, making you fit as a devotee. I wish to appoint you as my devotee and Saintess."
She rattled on without pause, but I couldn't understand a single word.
"Saintess...? You mean the Saintess from that religion?"
"Yes, Saintess. More precisely, the Saintess who leads the divine spirit's life."
"I don't get what you mean by collapse or whatever, but basically, your religion needs a Saintess to join, right?"
"It's not a religion, but you've grasped the essence correctly."
"What do you mean grasped? For starters, I'm a man. If anything, shouldn't it be Saint instead of Saintess?"
In response to my incredulous reply, Par spoke again.
"A Saintess must embody feminine qualities to receive holy power. If a man becomes a devotee, the life I expend would outpace the holy power received."
"What happens if that holy power is received less?"
"The Saintess's received holy power sustains my life. Insufficient power means I can't endure until the new fruit's birth, leading to Heavenly Peach's collapse."
"No, forget Saintess—I'm a man, aren't I? Doesn't that mean it's impossible from the start?"
"That's why I intend to transform your gender."
"......Pardon?"
Par clenched her hand in the air and then extended it toward me.
In her palm floated a bracelet of such clear pink it seemed transparent.
"If you wear this bracelet, Han Ga-eul, you will transform into a woman and gain the ability to channel holy power."
I stood silently and slowly accepted the bracelet she offered.
"......Should I put it on now?"
"No, you don't have to accept it. Take your time to think it over and wear it once you're ready."
I stared blankly at the bracelet before asking Par another question.
"What did you mean earlier by me having few attachments?"
Par smiled faintly.
"I think you know that better than anyone, Han Ga-eul. Ponder it deeply and make your decision."
The bracelet in my palm felt transparent despite its pink hue.
As I examined it closely, I realized Par's presence had vanished from before me.
When I looked up, she was gone as if she'd never been there.