Possession Is Always New (3)

It was the same when I got possessed before, and it's something I always feel during conversations. Talking with game NPCs never feels outright awkward, but how should I put it? There's no natural flow. Anyone listening might think I'm talking nonsense, but I'm simply sharing the exact impression I get while actually speaking with them. There wasn't a single lie in my words.

If I said it felt like conversing with a programmed robot or AI, selecting responses from a fixed framework and awkwardly forcing myself to fit into it, how many people would believe me? If I claimed it felt more like talking to a speaking doll than a person, how many would understand? Probably close to none.

Unless they were part of the protagonist's party or major characters, finding someone capable of natural conversation was nearly impossible. The world I possessed previously was overflowing with NPCs completely detached from reality. In a way, it was a blessing because it helped me clearly realize this wasn't the real world.

Still, when I saw Leticia or Leo repeatedly watching the shopkeeper auntie NPC repeat the exact same lines and then ask me what was wrong with that, I got goosebumps all over. I felt like I was the strange one.

It was then that I truly understood the feeling of being the two-eyed person in a village full of one-eyed people. The memory was so horrifying and skin-crawling that it's still vivid to this day.

And this might come out of nowhere, but in typical possession stories, when the protagonist possesses a game character they created or a boss monster like the final boss, they usually fall into one of two categories: those who treat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the game with deadly seriousness as if it were reality, or those who see the game as nothing more than a game. There's a clear difference between the two.

You might ask, if there's a difference, couldn't there also be common ground? Or that my logic is flawed because the protagonists in the novels I've read weren't like that? You're right. This is nonsense. But the truth is, there are no common points. Funny, isn't it? When their mindsets are fundamentally different, how could there be any overlap?

Neither approach can be called definitively good. That's reality. That's why protagonists often feel frustrating, and it becomes even more extreme if they're excessively kind or stupid. If the protagonist's crazy tendencies grow stronger over time, most end up assimilating with the character and going mad. Some even forget their memories of reality and live as that character forever.

If I hadn't been able to converse with people like Leticia or Leo like real friends or lovers, I might have gone insane in that world too. From multiple angles, I really am a lucky one. I was able to join a normal hero party instead of one of those trashy hero parties from common hero novels—the kind that expel the protagonist or where the protagonist gets expelled.

It wasn't like the traditional hero parties where comrades overflowed with camaraderie, but they at least knew how to care for one another. The only real downside was that the saintess Chloe had a dirty and prickly personality, but other than that our party had no major issues.

Since the saintess Chloe was fundamentally a good person, becoming close to her wasn't difficult. Leo and I didn't get along at first, but we gradually improved our relationship until I saw him as a true friend. My first meeting with Leticia wasn't exactly pleasant, but she became the most reliable comrade in the party and the target of my one-sided love.

But why am I suddenly rambling about all this? Because if I stay silent any longer, I feel like I'll lose my mind.

"Mother's embrace was warm. It was the first time I felt such warmth and tenderness. Born as the first living creation, I possessed the pride and self-esteem of that position. From the moment I came into existence, I had everything every being in the world could desire. I was a blessed morning star."

"...This is the second time I've heard the exact same story. Can we please move the quest along now? Just stop... please."

"What? It has only just begun, so listen carefully. Ahem. Not only the angels born after me, but even the humans newly born upon the earth looked up to me with reverence."

There was no complicated reason. If you keep listening to the same story on infinite repeat like a broken CD, any human would eventually go mad from boredom. That was exactly my current state. Half out of my mind, I had no choice but to listen to the goddess's story for several hours because of the quest. If I gave up now, I wouldn't be able to make any progress. There were no other options.

However, this goddess seemed to have grown quite lonely after being sealed alone in this Narak for so long, because she had a lot to say. It wasn't incomprehensible—there was no one to talk to in this space of pure darkness—but it was excessive. She talked far more than the grandmothers and aunties chattering away at the market.

From the atmosphere alone, she had seemed like an extremely reticent, solemn goddess who embodied the terror of all creation and carried a tragic past. Thanks to this, that illusion was completely shattered. She was simply a pathetic, incredibly talkative goddess who loved chatting with others.

...Where did all your dignity go, Goddess? What happened to the charisma you had when I first saw you...?

As if the programmed lines meant anything. Whether the game's degree of freedom had increased or the AI had improved dramatically, the goddess was busy pouring out her story like a surging wave. Perhaps the game had truly become reality, and the very concept of NPCs had vanished entirely. If so, that would be incredible.

I simply stared at the goddess with a calm expression. I didn't let it show outwardly. The goddess didn't seem particularly bothered either. She was too focused on talking to care about what I might say. No matter what I brought up, she probably wouldn't listen with much attention.

"I was like a shining star. In my youth, rather than this hideous and repulsive appearance, I was an angel who received the trust, respect, and faith of every angel and human combined. The number of angels who confessed their love to me easily surpassed a hundred."

In short, it meant that in her youth she had been popular and received countless confessions—she was an insider.

"It was a happy life. There was far more that I possessed than what I lacked."

That just meant she received that much tribute, so let's ignore it. Listening to that would be nothing but pointless nonsense. Is there no skip button anywhere? I seriously want to mash the mouse button right now. Developers, show yourselves! Operators, get out here! Even the previous game was like this—if it's a PC game, they could at least give us a story skip button.

"Humans offered their faith, and angels offered food and entertainment without end. In response, my power only grew stronger."

This is genuinely draining. There's a limit to how long you can nod along and react while listening to someone talk. I wish she'd just let me clear the quest already.

I watched Lucifel, who seemed excited as she had completely discarded her solemn demeanor and was now chattering away at me endlessly. With a triumphant expression on one hand and a dark, regretful look on the other, Lucifel continued her story.

"Also, in my youth, I was arrogant. I was haughty and believed all creation existed beneath me. That included even the goddess who created me. My power grew stronger and stronger, until it reached a level that could not even be compared to my younger sister, Michael."

That was the beginning of my sin, Lucifel said.

"...Ah. Yes."

"What is that bland reaction? Show more enthusiasm. Do you not understand how much of an honor it is to listen to my past?"

Here we go again. I nodded vaguely.

"Of course."

"In the past, simply telling my followers about my history would have them crying and causing an uproar."

"......I see. You must have had quite a few emotionally sensitive followers."

That was the end of my input. My only role was to react appropriately to Lucifel's words and answer in a relaxed manner.

Even so, my attitude must have pleased her, because Lucifel smiled brightly and spoke.

"I'm sorry for troubling you. This old one has overstepped because I felt lonely. I was never the type to suffer from loneliness, yet being alone in a place like this has made me so."

A smile that looked somewhat sad. That wistful smile resembled someone I had once loved, and I couldn't look away. In the end, what came out of my mouth wasn't refusal but acceptance.

"...It's all right. It's true that I have nothing else to do, and while I'm bound here, the only person I can talk to is you, Goddess."

"Thank you for understanding."

The sorrow born from long years showed on her face. The goddess of the demon race. Because she was the goddess worshipped by the demon race who were once my enemies, I should have felt hostility toward her even without having seen it myself. After all, she was the goddess believed in by the one who started the war.

But what about now? If someone asked whether I could hate a goddess so filled with sadness and emptiness, carrying some deep story, I would hesitate. After thinking it over, I might even accept her. Just like right now.

Right at that moment, a shining system window appeared before my eyes.

I frowned. Now they were even making me pick choices? This world was mixed together so thoroughly that I was starting to suspect it was overdone. I couldn't sigh out loud, so I did it internally as I scanned the options. Numbers one and three were things I absolutely shouldn't say unless I'd gone completely insane. After rolling my eyes around, I chose number two.

After moving my lips for a moment, I spoke first for the first time.

"Lady Lucifel, since when have you been trapped in this Narak?"

"...For a first question, that's rather modest. Well, I suppose it's not strange that a young demon like you wouldn't know, since that woman erased my records from history."

"Erased... them?"

"Yes, erased. If it was that woman who threw me into this place, it's entirely possible. Pretending to praise and package things nicely on the surface is her specialty."

It wasn't strange. Jealousy was an emotion that always ruined living beings. I had been the same. Lucifel smiled bitterly and added.

"Once is enough for actions you will regret."

Lucifel spoke as if shaking off lingering attachment. I was about to ask ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what she meant when the quest suddenly announced its completion.

"...Huh?"

What exactly had been the main point of the quest? Why did it clear? The conversation with Lucifel had barely even started, yet it was cut off. I looked at Lucifel like someone seeking an answer and jumped in surprise. She was staring straight at me. Then she suddenly gave a faint smile.

"It seems my task is finished. How truly strange. The warrior who once cut down my children has become a demon."

"...!! How did you—"

"From this Narak, I watched everything. You sliced through them quite enthusiastically."

Lucifel's voice was endlessly cold, yet a strange hint of amusement lingered within it.

"Only the strong determine law. Only the strong hold rights. For demons, it is survival of the fittest. Therefore, I do not resent you. My children were weak, and you were simply strong."

Her voice was indifferent. The moment I tried to speak, an anomaly occurred. A magic circle similar to the one I saw last time—but glowing with a different shade of purple—carved itself beneath my feet. This was also a magic circle I had never seen before. It was a unique one I had never encountered even during my time as Damian Radius. The closest thing it resembled was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a summoning circle.

In response to my questioning gaze, the goddess answered surprisingly kindly.

"It is a summoning spell. It seems someone is calling you. Unlike unilateral summoning magic, this one feels somewhat ominous."

Lucifel stared blankly for a moment before her expression shifted to one of understanding, and she burst into laughter. Clink. Clink. The chains binding Lucifel rattled along with her movements.

"You really have terrible luck. How fascinating. So there still remains someone in this world who knows how to use the forbidden magic 'Demon Summoning' that disappeared long ago."

"...What did you say?"

"Hehe, I hope it becomes an entertaining game. It was a rather pleasant conversation that kept me from boredom, Charlotte Cyclamen."

She called me by my real name even though I had never told her. I no longer had the energy to ask how. As I surrendered my body to the summoning magic that scattered vast amounts of mana in all directions, Lucifel's final words reached my ears.

"This is a summoning spell that does not call only demons, but simultaneously searches for a certain special someone. Keep that in mind and return safely."

With those words, my vision flipped upside down.