Leaving Exorsus (1)

I could not understand what value a single sheet of paper, marked with a question mark grade, held that would summon the Creator and allow one to exist in a space where time did not pass.

But it was certain that it was an item of tremendous value.

I stared at the one remaining roundly rolled sheet in my inventory, then moved it to the leftmost slot of the top row of the inventory.

As I did, I noticed two bundled pouches placed beneath it.

Since they caught my eye, I decided to prepare them before the expedition and took out the 2nd-year and 3rd-year reward pouches.

They looked like two small lucky pouches from the outside.

Expecting that their contents would be far from ordinary, I opened both pouches.

『You have obtained 5 free stat points and 20 free skill points as the 2nd-year reward.』

『You have obtained 10 Resistance Dye (2L).』

[Resistance Dye (2L)]×10

A dye produced by concentrating the blood of the magical beast Relluctio, which resists physical impact and even divine power. It can be mixed with other dyes or used alone to give a deep tone.

Increases physical and magical resistance by 10%.

『You have obtained 5 free stat points and 20 free skill points as the 3rd-year reward.』

『You have obtained Ludicer’s handwritten letter.』

“…What did I get?”

The small pouch vanished, leaving ten 2L beverage bottles and a letter envelope covered in pink floral patterns.

At that moment I looked up at the ceiling in silence—more precisely, at Ludicer, who would be looking down at me.

Ludicer, who had been looking down at Kim Han, was startled.

Seeing Kim Han blur briefly and then come back into focus, she guessed that he had used the contract the Creator had personally given him.

But instead of further pondering as she expected, Kim Han suddenly took out the reward pouches.

From that moment Ludicer’s heart began to pound as if it would burst from her chest.

‘Oh, what do I do. What if he hates it? What if he thinks I’m a frivolous goddess? Sniff. Maybe I shouldn’t have listened to Aetas.’

Clutching her chest as if it might explode from its frantic beating, she saw Kim Han look up at the ceiling—perhaps because he had found the letter she had written.

When their eyes met head-on, Ludicer thought her heart, which had been racing so hard, would stop.

‘Ah….’

The brief look in Kim Han’s eyes held neither displeasure nor irritation.

At first curiosity, and finally the mischievous, delighted look of someone who had found something amusing.

Seeing Kim Han’s relaxed demeanor, rare these days, Ludicer felt relieved that she had written the letter herself.

“Ludicer, how cute. Shall I read the handwritten letter the goddess wrote herself?”

The letter wasn’t very long. But its contents were short and powerful enough to make the hand holding it tremble.

“Pft, hahahahaha. Ah, Ludicer, sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh on purpose… kekekekek.”

Apologizing to Ludicer, who must be watching me now, I still couldn’t stop laughing.

Inside the pink envelope was a pink sheet of stationery, neatly folded; when I unfolded it, the handwriting that followed was crooked and unsuited to Ludicer.

To Kim Han

It seems you didn’t open the reward pouch I gave you last year. Was my gift perhaps not to your liking?

I’m saving rewards for the gift I’ll give in the 5th year, when the real battlefield opens after the 4th year. So please don’t be disappointed.

(It looks like there was some text before, but it’s been completely erased.)

―Always worrying, Ludicer.

‘So please don’t be disappointed.’ How adorable a goddess is that!

Besides, Ludicer is normally an intelligent, cool-headed goddess—yet she wrote such a crooked handwritten note.

Just imagining that image made me burst into laughter.

“Ah… I haven’t laughed this hard in a long time. Thank you, Ludicer.”

I carefully placed the handwritten letter into my inventory and then took out the oddly named item the Creator had given me.

No matter how I examined it, it looked like an unremarkable orb filled with something like mercury.

“Let’s do it.”

It felt uneasy, but I wasn’t going to let it rot away in my inventory.

Holding the silver orb, about the size of a watermelon, in both hands and channeling divine power into it, the inner liquid seemed to stain with chaos, shifting from silver to black.

Like ink dropped into a clear sphere of water, the black spread slowly, until the orb was completely dyed and began to vibrate.

And then,

Ssharararrrk―!!

The transparent orb shattered and the liquid within began to coat my body like iron filings clinging to a magnet.

So fast that even my heightened reflexes couldn’t react, the black liquid soaked through my clothes and enveloped my entire body in an instant.

“Ugh—!”

I tried to use divine power, but it passed through the liquid as if it were part of my body and couldn’t separate it.

As I began to suffocate and my vision blurred, feeling claustrophobic.

『Owner recognized. Registration complete. Genetic information analysis in progress… complete. Please choose a name.』

“Pant… Goddamn.”

『Would you like to set the name as ‘PantGoddamn’?』

“…No, wait. What is this?”

『Please choose a name.』

Standing before a full-length mirror in the room, I saw a thin black leather armor covering my entire body—even my eyes.

Yet my sight remained, smells were perceivable, and tactile sensation persisted exactly as before.

『Please choose a name.』

And it spoke. What kind of absurd over-technology was this? It felt like a mecha element suddenly spawned in a fantasy world.

『Name…』

“Suho.”

『Would you like to set the name as ‘Suho’?』

“Yes.”

『Name accepted. Self generated. Analyzing the owner’s surrounding environment. Estimated time: approximately 31.82 seconds.』

“Fine. Confirmed.”

[Collection of the Supreme Being No. 21,771—Suho]

Immunity to projectiles of equal or lower grade. Poison immunity. Talent ‘Durability’ acquired. Wearer’s physical abilities increased by 20%. Environmental analysis.

“Why list such incredible abilities so curtly? Anyone would think it’s nothing. And there’s no grade displayed…”

Projectile immunity means being immune to arrows and thrown weapons. Poison immunity as well. Perhaps unless forcibly ingested—or even if unknowingly ingested—it’s immune.

Moreover, the ‘Durability’ talent, when combined with Enhanced energy grants such toughness that one wouldn’t die immediately even if struck by a strong force unarmored.

And that’s not all: wearer’s physical abilities increase by 20%. I don’t know exactly how it’s applied, but my physical stats are already monstrous—adding another 20%?

Yet all of that is tersely summed up in a single line.

『Environmental analysis complete. The environment matches the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’. Among your powers, there is one that can be linked with me. Do you permit access?』

“Yes.”

『Access permission acquired. Linking skill ‘Argus’s Eye’… complete.』

Unlike before, no separate message appeared in the air.

Like a game, various gauges appeared in my vision and reports about the surrounding environment were displayed as numbers.

An interface that allowed me to grasp my current state and surroundings at a glance.

“I like it.”

That night, like a child playing with a new toy, I lost track of time testing Suho in various ways.

At the same time, bizarre rumors about Kim Han began to spread from the mouths of the mages guarding the underground training hall.

‘Kim Han likes full-body skintight suits.’

This was about the time when full-body suits with various colorful functions began to arrive as gifts.

The mansion was bustling from the morning.

Two visitors had come early, and Tess and Miku were inspecting the generously ordered food ingredients one by one while guiding the mages to cast preservation spells and pack them into magic backpacks.

What’s making things even busier and more chaotic was Naruan.

“Wow. Little butler, what’s this?”

“That’s a spice. It gives a spicy flavor… ? Huh? You shouldn’t eat that…”

“Ack! Sp-spicy!! It’s hot!”

Watching Naruan seek water, Miku finished the sentence she had left off.

“…It works. It’s spicy. Heh.”

Like a skilled instructor, Miku deftly lured Naruan with spicy seasoning, got her to eat the red-colored spice she liked, and then handled the ruckus-making Naruan.

The mages clicked their tongues at the young Miku’s display, and Tess smiled in satisfaction.

Amid the bustle, the representatives began to wake up one by one and descend to the first-floor dining room.

And each of them, attempting to help pack, only received scolding from Tess and Miku and was banished to the first-floor hall.

The only representatives who weren’t banished were Lee Hyo-ju and Hazel.

They weren’t lending hands either; they were only being briefed on what ingredients and supplies were present.

Tess and Miku absolutely would not tolerate anyone intruding on their domain.

As packing was nearing completion, Biosis and Talis appeared and took seats on the first-floor terrace, and Jimnas and the gardener arrived nearly at the same time to join them.

Four transcendents in total. They were genuine experts who toyed with Kim Han, who had other representatives wrapped around his finger.

The shoulders of the representatives remaining in the first-floor hall shrank even further.

In the dining room Tess and Miku radiated their distinctive presence, and on the opposite terrace the transcendents, saying little, exuded their own formidable aura.

The remaining representatives had to stay crouched like that until Kim Han came down.

“We’re departing.”

At my words, the legion members began to walk silently.

Nine representatives, each wearing robes to suit their tastes, and four transcendents disembarked from the carriage and walked toward the southern gate.

Even over the short walk, tales about the demon god’s representative, Violentia, could already be heard around us—as if someone were intentionally spreading them.

“Nah, surely not… Someone who’d be the demon god’s representative? And she’s a woman, they say.”

“That’s exactly why it’s even more surprising! She’s a woman… and then, well…”

“What is it?”

“They say she’s pretty too.”

“Wow! Pretty women falling like raindrops?”

“Even so!”

I smiled contentedly at the background chatter that rose naturally given my boosted physical stats.

The southern gate guard was waiting, perhaps having heard the news.

I handed them the prepared documents and a metal plate containing information on the transcendents.

“Be careful, and we pray you all return safely.”

The southern gate captain bowed deeply, wishing for our safe return.

An old man in even finer clothes than the gate captain stood beside him.

“Have a good trip, youngster.”

“Don’t worry; let’s have a drink when you return. With our masters.”

“Good. I’ll personally prepare the snacks.”

“Heh heh. Then it’s settled.”

Fabrice Legrand, commander-in-chief of the Exorsus guard.

He was the old man who had taken my last registration card.

The day I met Shio and left, among the spellbooks she handed me was a name with personal details, and under the skill I was to learn was a detailed reason why I should learn it.

Fabrice Legrand

A command-type transcendent.

This old man exerts tremendous power in group combat more than alone. Given the four of you, it’s not fitting to command from behind; so go find this man.

‘Confirmed.’