3rd Year (1)

I carefully lift my body from the bed.

Looking outside, it’s still the hour when magical lamps, not the sun, light the garden.

With reflex stats honed to a high level, I move out at a speed almost like teleportation and quickly dress.

I step out onto the third-floor terrace and wake my groggy mind with the fresh, divine-power-filled breeze blowing from the garden.

‘It’s already the third year.’

It feels like just yesterday I experienced regression, but bustling days have passed and it’s already been three years.

I’ve become much stronger than I expected, and an unexpected companion joined me.

“Partner… no, Kim Han.”

A warmth from behind me dispels the morning chill. A soft voice speaks at the same time.

“Already… awake?”

Again… an unexpected lover has come into my life.

“Want a cup of tea? Phew… the phrasing is not easy. Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Sure.”

I take out Panope from my inventory—the same tea I once served to Arun and Lee Hyo-ju.

I summon the kettle and teacup from the bedside and place them on the antique tea table on the terrace.

I put Panope into the kettle and hand over a steaming hot teacup.

“Hehe, thank… thank you. Hmm… this tea is really amazing.”

Hazel wraps a thin blanket around herself instead of clothes, offers a dazzling smile, and stares silently into the air.

A message explaining mana recovery speed and turnover rate probably popped up for her.

Seeing Hazel’s radiant smile and alluring pose that bares her shoulders brings back the conversation in the study I never expected would lead to this closeness.

As soon as the plague situation was more or less resolved, she and I met in the study.

“I… can’t understand it, but my patron god confirmed you’re a high elf. And the high elf learned what Comes is.”

“I see.”

“…So that means we’ve truly split taken up to being half of each other, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Well… then I accept you as my partner.”

Until then, I had no intention of doing anything about Hazel.

But Hazel was always by my side, approached without reserve. We grew closer and began to acknowledge it.

It wasn’t love at first sight burning with passion, but like embers gathered into a comforting warmth, we soaked into each other.

Now, at least once a week like today, we always sleep in the same bed and wake in the same bed.

On the third-floor terrace, greeting the faintly bright morning, I think about how I’ve changed, snort a laugh, and get up.

Today is the special day that begins the third year, so I need to hurry preparing.

I approach Hazel, kiss her cooled forehead, and help her to her feet.

“Let’s get ready. If we dawdle, Naruan, who suddenly barged in before, might start bawling and causing a scene. She’s already excited enough…”

“Hoho, Naruan’s been excited since a week ago.”

The day Naruan gets excited is the day we go out.

Around this time last year… it was hell, but I’m just hoping there won’t be that this year.

“Go.”

I head to the underground training hall, Hazel goes to her room to prepare, and the mansion gradually grows noisy while we get ready.

After training, when I enter the dining hall for breakfast, it’s already full of commotion.

“What are you saying! Why would I be the youngest! Oil, you’re the youngest!”

“Naruan, by face or by body, you’re the youngest.”

“Who are you calling this lump of oil. I’ll kill you! Hey! How old are you!”

As always, the cause of the noise today is, unsurprisingly, Naruan and Hugo.

At first they were distant, but at some point they hit it off and stuck together, bickering over every little thing.

“Me? Thirty-forty-something years old. Why!”

“…Really?”

Sigh… those idiots never have a quiet day.

Naruan lost to Hugo in words again today.

“Ho, hohoho. Naruan, you seem really close with Hugo?”

“Hahaha, indeed. And Hugo, what will you do if Naruan runs to the captain about this?”

“Kukukuk. He’s already here.”

Arun sneers at them and, announcing my arrival, the dining hall’s gazes turn to me at once.

“Wigo, I told you not to teach Naruan weird things.”

“Ah, hahaha. Well, that is…”

“Want to spar?”

“Ah, no!”

Starting with tearful Naruan and Hugo scratching his cheek, I greet everyone one by one.

The noisy dining hall—once it felt empty, but now that feeling is much less.

Leaving the legion members behind, I approach Biosos and Talis, who are eating meat and drinking at the long, wide round table from morning.

“Master.”

“Ah, yes. Eat, my disciple.”

“Also, leave the alcohol and go.”

The more they learned about the powers Deicide and Destruction, the more they dropped their initial grumbling that they were ignorant old men and treated Biosos and Talis with great respect.

If not for the peculiarity of being a representative, the surge of talents after regression, or the blessed environment called Battlefield of the Gods, things would have been blocked from the start and I’d still be floundering.

I answer politely that I understand the two masters’ casual greetings and sit at the table.

As soon as I sit, steaming dishes are set before me in an instant—thanks to the power of the mages playing the maids’ role.

When I’ve eaten about half my breakfast, Talis’s voice is heard.

“Oh right! Disciple, are you going there today?”

“Yes.”

I nod and answer Talis’s question; after a moment of thought, he speaks.

“Then go in and ask your patron god about applying for a legion.”

“A legion?”

“Yes, that. Hmm… If I recall, you can apply for a legion even during the training period. So ask your patron god and then do it.”

“…What? Then how do I prove achievements…”

“Ask your god about that too. Anyway, your patron won’t dislike it.”

With that cryptic remark, Talis returns to focusing on his meal—or rather, his drink.

Immediately after the boisterous breakfast, spurred by Naruan, we arrive at the Garden of Gods earlier than expected.

As always, our party—excluding the three new members—politely greets the gardener and stands at the entrance to the Garden of Gods.

I make eye contact with each member and give one more stern warning, packing it full of menace.

“This time I really will make you taste hell the moment you go anywhere. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Watching the others answer, I glare at Hugo and Simon and speak each syllable slowly.

“No! Way! After your interview with your patron god, don’t go anywhere—wait right here! Understand? If I hear even a whisper that you stepped out for a bit, I’ll add one hour of solo sparring for each of you until the next visit to the Garden of Gods.”

“Yes!”

“Yes, yes!”

After several beatings under the guise of sparring, those two are now completely compliant.

They play rough pranks with other members, but in front of me they immediately become privates.

Last time Mae Young-ryeong caused trouble, so this time I have a bad feeling about these two.

Especially that Hugo fellow—if he sees a pretty woman, he’ll charge in and try to hit on her.

But I’ve firmly imprinted the fear of merciless beatings through sparring into their heads—no, into their whole bodies—and I just threatened them again with deadly intent, so I decide to trust them and send the party into the Garden of Gods.

As soon as I enter the garden, I stop at the changed scenery.

Unlike the space once filled with all kinds of machines, it’s a well-decorated garden.

I thought there might be other gods from the start, but the god greeting me is only Ludicer.

“Ludicer?”

“Ah! Mr. Kim Han, welcome.”

Ludicer greets me again with her bright, cheerful manner.

She truly looks too happy—oddly unlike someone who should go with her.

“Oh. Uh, right. But why is the surroundings a garden?”

I barely swallow the hard-to-adapt-to ‘happy’ Ludicer persona and ask my question; her bright expression instantly stiffens.

Then, with a face like a child who has endured the world and sounding like she’s lamenting her fate, she sighs deeply with a cute face.

“No doubt, in a moment Aetas and the others will say they want to see you, Mr. Kim Han. And Genesis! You absolutely must meet her, right?”

“Huh? Uh, yeah. Right?”

When she mentions Genesis, a murderous aura radiates in all directions and the garden’s flowers and grasses lean back as if struck by a gale, then settle.

Of course, I too want to grab Genesis by the throat immediately, but Ludicer seems to hold an even deeper grudge than I do.

“Then before that, let’s settle our matter first.”

“…Huh? Our matter?”

Ludicer twists her body and her cheeks flush.

I float a question mark over my head and stare at Ludicer.

After a long while, she regains composure and hurriedly pretends nothing’s wrong.

“Ahem… I-I’m sorry.”

“No, the third-year reward first. We don’t know what might happen like last time.”

“…Yes.”

Ludicer hands over the third-year reward in a voice full of regret.

[You have acquired the 3rd-year reward package. Please check your inventory for details.]

“Then I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Fortunately, she immediately returns to her original rational Ludicer self.

“As for the current situation. I didn’t intend it, but Benialis has become too messed up.”

“That’s right.”

“We need to balance it appropriately so they can trade blows among themselves, right?”

“Correct. Fortunately, Mr. Kim Han, you have something to restore that balance, don’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right. But how should I use this so they’ll think I used it well?”

“Benialis should acquire it by chance.”

“By chance…”

“Yes. It just so happens Benialis has been prowling around your mansion.”

“…That guy was around my mansion?”

Just as I can see Benialis and Violentia, Ludicer can see them too.

If they settled in a fixed residential area it would be easy to track them, but recently Benialis has been wandering the northern residential area and sleeping in alleys like a homeless person.

So we couldn’t pinpoint a location, and yet it was near my house. Well, the mansion is vast enough, after all.

Benialis prowling near my house…

A ‘chance’ disguised transfer. A plan begins to form.

By the way, is Ludicer skilled not only in logical deduction but also in cunning schemes?

I put that thought aside for later and move on to the next question.

“Okay, next. They said to consult the patron god about the reward for handling the Witch of Doom?”

“…Ah!”

The reward for dealing with Witch of Doom. More precisely, for subduing it.

Usually it’s handled by the system—granting a title or stats—but I’ve never seen a message telling me to consult my patron god.

“Please wait a moment.”

Ludicer busies herself, waving her hands through the air as she asks me to wait.

She stares into the air as if searching for something, flicking her hands to flip, pull, or toss things behind her repeatedly.

“All done. I’ll show you.”

With Ludicer’s words, messages appear in the air—flashy right down to their ranks.

[physical grade Upgrade Scroll [Demi-God]]

Using it immediately raises your physical grade by one step. The physical grade goes ‘B―A―S―Ex―DG’, up to DG only.

Note: Considerable pain may accompany this, so prepare yourself. Well, that won’t make the pain disappear, though.

[Skill Evolution Scroll [Unique]]×15

A treasure that can evolve non-ability skills to a higher rank. If a skill’s evolution path branches, you can choose the direction upon using the scroll.

[Additional Ability Selection Ticket [Demi-God]]

Did you miss an ability you regretted not choosing during the initial contract? Don’t worry. We’ll let you select an additional ability.

[Let’s Have a Talk! [??]]×2

You can summon and converse with anyone, whether they’re trapped deep in hell or a god. The summoned space lasts an hour; after that, both the petitioner and the subject return to their original locations.

[Free Skill Points, Free Stat Points Package [Demi-God]]

Contains free skill points and free stat points. Minimum 20 each, up to 100! If luck hits the jackpot, you’ll be a points tycoon! Try now!

“…Ludicer?”

“You may choose one of these.”

Glancing over them, items of mismatched caliber are listed together.

A Unique and a Demi-God as the same choice—something’s off. And that question-mark rank? Huh…?

“Can you recommend one?”

“I’m sorry. Mr. Kim Han, you must choose.”

“…Really?”

“Yes….”

Ludicer’s gaze as she answers is fixed on a spot in the air, not on me. So she’s telling me to pick that one, right?