Meeting Again (1)

That day, strangely, there was no one at the entrance of the intensive care unit. With no nurses around, I had to find and put on a sterile gown myself.

When visiting hours arrived, I entered the intensive care unit as usual. It was quiet inside, as if all the patients were asleep.

Thinking nothing of it, I hurried to Mina’s bed, which was located at the far end. I mentally prepared the story I would tell her today.

It wasn’t until I got close to her bed that I noticed a girl around Mina’s age standing beside it, as if it was the most natural thing.

“Hey, are you Mina’s friend?”

“…!!”

“Thanks for visiting as her friend, but you need to wear a sterile gown like brother to come in. So why don’t you go out and ask the nurse for one of these clothes, then come back in?”

“…Who are you?”

“…This little one, talking back to an adult… Go change into the sterile clothes and come back.”

The girl just stood there, lost in thought, without moving an inch.

Ignoring the strange child, I approached Mina’s bed.

“Our Mina, it was tough today, right? You did well. Today, I’ll tell you about what happened at school. I was sitting on a bench, and then…”

“I see.”

Sighing at the sudden interruption, I turned my head towards the voice.

“Would you make a contract with me?”

“Huh? A contract? What kind of contract? I’m busy right now, you see? Visiting hours are limited. Can’t we talk after the visit?”

I wondered if this pretty-looking girl might be interested in me, feeling a bit flattered.

“It’s a misunderstanding. I have no interest in you whatsoever. You are not attractive at all. More importantly, if the contract is successful, your sister, Kim Mina, can recover immediately.”

“…What?!”

Anger surged to the top of my head, ready to lash out at the audacious prank of the girl, but a few words the child said stuck in my mind.

‘Mina will get better? No, before that… did she just read my mind…?’

“Yes. I will make sure your sister, Kim Mina, recovers. As a healthy, ordinary person. And yes, I did read your mind, Mr. Kim Han.”

“Y-you… Wh-what are you?!”

“Does it matter who I am? Or is it more important that your sister Kim Mina gets better?”

“Wh-what…?”

“Sigh… Humans are such doubtful creatures. Then let me show you what will happen once the contract is successful.”

The girl’s declaration, which overwhelmed me with incomprehensible words, left me unable to gather my thoughts. As her bold claim ended, Mina, who was lying in bed, opened her eyes as if waking from a deep sleep.

“Oppa…?”

“Mina…?”

“Oppa…”

“I-is this real… did she really recover? Truly?”

“Oh? That girl, she’s the one from my dream? Ah! This must be a dream too. Hehe, it’s been a while since I dreamed about you, oppa. You know, thank you. The stories you tell me every day, that I’ll get better, that I should stay strong, they give me strength. So let’s meet often, even if it’s in a dream, okay?”

“Huh? Yeah… Mina.”

As I spoke, tears I didn’t even realize were falling dripped onto my wrist and scattered across the hospital floor.

Each of Mina’s words pierced my heart, leaving it heavy and making it hard to breathe, with tears blurring my vision, making Mina’s figure appear hazy.

“Yeah. It’s really nice to talk to you after such a long time. Even if it’s just a dream. But, oppa, I’m… getting sleepy again… Sorry…”

With those words, Mina slowly closed her eyes, as if she were dead.

“Wh-what’s going on?!”

“Calm down. She’s just fallen asleep again. Do you understand what I’m saying now?”

“Really? She’s not dead, right?”

“Yes. Your answer?”

As I approached and shook the girl in a panic, her cold eyes scanned me, pointing to a machine emitting a steady operating sound.

“…Alright. I’ll do that contract thing.”

“Then let’s change locations.”

As soon as she suggested changing locations, the surroundings shifted.

The sight of countless machines lined up endlessly yet neatly. It was as if a server room had been copied and pasted, and I looked around in wonder.

“Here’s the contract. Read it carefully and slowly. Is your wish for your sister’s recovery?”

“Huh? Oh. No! It’s for my sister to live healthily. Not just to recover from her illness.”

“Alright, I understand. You seem to think of me as a demon or devil, from what I gathered. As the contract states, I am a god. I haven’t been divine for long, but I’m from the neutral faction, not the demon faction. So don’t worry about being deceived. I’ll restore your sister and increase her luck. So she can live happily ever after. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Sounds good!”

I read the simple contract four times. I checked carefully to see if there was any fine print hidden and said I would do it.

After about two hours of proceeding with the contract, I became a representative of Ludicer, a minor god of leisure, and participated in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods.’

…A scene from the past that was once the future.

Only six days until the contract.

The conditions I needed to consider and keep in mind were immense.

It was fortunate that, thanks to 31 years of struggling and surviving in the mud, I was at least able to think and force my brain to work.

“Even for the Goddess of Time, time is always lacking.”

I muttered to myself the words Hyo-ju used to say habitually on the battlefield, pondering more thoroughly.

The haphazardly scribbled notes were gradually organized into a clear structure, and I was done with sorting out what needed to be done, the benefits to be gained, and the preparations required.

I took a deep breath and collapsed onto the sofa.

Simultaneously, I fell asleep as if fainting.

Since the first day of regression, I put my unexpectedly spacious house on the market and got a studio apartment.

Except for checking my bank balance or visiting Mina in the hospital, I dedicated 5 days entirely to revising and supplementing my plans.

And soon, I quickly reached a conclusion.

No matter how positively I tried to think, my brain isn’t equipped for devising schemes or detailed planning.

I realized clearly that I’m the kind of person who acts rather than plans and strategizes in just a day.

But I couldn’t just sit idly by.

Feeling frustrated with no one to ask for advice, I discovered a question-and-answer system on an internet site.

The moment I saw it, I jumped out of my chair, shouting “Eureka,” and ran around the house.

I started with an introduction as a writer planning a novel, then asked about a simple explanation and setting for “Battlefield of the Gods,” and how the protagonist could maximize their benefits.

Not only on one site but I scoured through multiple sites and various novel sites to post the writing.

I collected bizarre methods in this way. After sorting out feasible and plausible methods, five days flew by in the blink of an eye.

The Koreans on this ‘Earth’ who were active on the internet, known as ‘netizens,’ were impressive enough to evoke respect. Who knew there were so many vicious and underhanded methods?

It was understandable how Lee Hyo-ju, from this place, used such vicious and underhanded methods on the Battlefield of the Gods.

April 18th.

I arrived in front of Mina’s intensive care unit.

Just like the day of the previous contract, even here, not on the Earth I lived on, the entrance to the bustling treatment room during visiting hours was deserted.

In the strangely chilling and cold silence that sent shivers down my spine, she appeared.

A young girl around 15 or 16 years old with long silver-grey hair and a pure white dress.

Her slightly rosy cheeks resembled those of a child, making one instinctively want to caress her, a cute little girl.

I stopped her as she walked barefoot towards the sterile room.

“Hey.”

“…!!”

Even though she was a lower god who hadn’t even mastered divinity for a hundred years, her already large eyes widened further, surprised that a human interfered in a divine event.

Then she scrutinized me up and down as if exploring.

After a moment of silence, she widened her eyes again, surprised by something.

“Here to make a contract?”

“…Uh?”

That pretentious polite speech was still the same. She’s crazy. For a god who had gained divinity to speak politely to a human.

There was a time when I foolishly believed even those actions were for my sake, thinking I held a special meaning to her.

“That contract, make it with me.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“My sister will refuse it anyway. The pain she has suffered so far is too great, and she’ll say she wants to give up. Or maybe she’ll just think it’s a dream.”

“What…? What are you…?”

“Well, it’s hard to trust human words, isn’t it? Or rather, you don’t want to. Go on. I’ll wait.”

I stepped aside, making way for her to pass, as she struggled to grasp my words.

She stood there, lost in thought for a while, then quickly walked into the sterile room. And in less than 20 minutes, she came out with a dazed expression.

“Am I right?”

“You… What are you? No, what is all this?”

“Oh?”

Look at that. It’s the first time I’ve seen her so flustered. She’s so taken aback that she’s speaking informally with me.

This is all thanks to the great advice from the netizens. Wasn’t it called a way to dominate the opponent’s spirit?

I couldn’t bring myself to follow the netizens’ suggestion to start by slapping her, but this much was enough.

“Kim Han. Age 24. Born June 29th. Cancer. Blood type O. I thought she was my girlfriend… but anyway, we broke up. Not curious about my body size?”

“What are you…?”

“Enough. Are you going to make the contract or not?”

“…I will.”

Of course, she had no choice.

This woman was never interested in the ‘Battlefield of the Gods’ in the first place. If she had even a bit of interest, if she had given advice like half the other gods, would my foolishness have been reduced a little?

No, that’s not important right now. The pettiness engraved in my soul almost surfaced.
The fool is the one who gets deceived, and the idiot is the one who gets caught. ‘The Battlefield of the Gods’ is such a place.

“Tsk. Let’s move.”

“Even that…”

She even showed a dumbfounded expression with her mouth wide open in a foolish manner.

Before the regression, she always spoke formally and disappeared after saying what she had to say, making it doubtful if she was the same person.

Though she quickly composed her expression, I had already enjoyed it enough(?)

The surroundings changed rapidly, as it was a place I had visited once before.

Endless machines. I later learned that these were the storage media where the game’s AI was stored.

“This is the ch–”

“The Chamber of Contracts, right?”

“…That’s correct.”

“Oh, sorry. You don’t like being interrupted?”

“Regardless of age or gender, probably anyone with intelligence wouldn’t?”

She was quite upset, answering in such a way to a question she would normally respond to calmly with ‘No.’

But it was still far from over. The woman in front of me is so tough that her expression wouldn’t change even when her head was cut off. It can’t be this easy to take the initiative.

“Right. But you’re a god. So don’t get mad at every little thing. A being of a different class, right?”

“……”

Oh ho. She’s mad, she’s mad. The halo flickering behind her head was proof that she was angry.

“Not going to make a contract?”

At my sudden words, just as she was about to get angry, she was taken aback as if she had choked, dispelling the radiance and summoning a document.

“…This is the contract. Please read it calmly and slowly.”

Unable to hide her awkward expression, she handed over a document, which I began to read thoroughly.

1. The contractor becomes the agent of the subordinate God of Amusement, ‘Ludicer’.

2. Ludicer grants the wish desired by the agent as compensation for the contract. If Ludicer lacks the ability or cannot provide the compensation, mutual adjustment is possible. However, if amicable adjustment is not achieved, the contract fails.

3. An agent refers to a “tribute” who enters the “Battlefield of the Gods” on behalf of the contracted god and strives to become the final victor.

4. The method for selecting the final victor is as follows:
   ―Annihilation of all proxies.
   ―Victory of the Legion.
   ―Conquering all nations on the battlefield through the territory of the contracted god.
   ―Survival until the end.

5. An agent who survives to the end by annihilating or forcing the surrender of enemies in the “Battlefield of the Gods” can decide to return or remain after negotiating with the contracted god once all battles conclude, and unless in special cases, the agent’s power is preserved.

6. Before the contract is established, discussions or advice about the “Battlefield of the Gods” between the agent candidate and the god are possible. However, acts such as a god directly or indirectly harming or spying on another god’s agent are strictly prohibited.

7. Regardless of when they contract with Ludicer, all proxies enter the “Battlefield of the Gods” at the same time. (Time remaining: 94 days 20 hours 17 minutes)

‘Nothing’s changed…’

Even after reading it two or three times, the simple contract with seven clauses remained the same as before.

A damnably unkind contract with most of it hidden.

Glancing at Ludicer, whose poker face had crumbled, I opened my mouth with difficulty.

“Let’s do it.”

“…Are you sure?”

‘I don’t want to either, you bitch!’

“Yes.”

“Very well. Then, is the wish for your sibling’s recovery?”

It’s finally starting. I’ve been aggravating and shaking her up until now for this very moment.

Of course, I can’t deny that there was also a desire to vent the frustration I had before the regression.

I clenched my teeth to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out in triumph. To Ludicer, it probably looked like I was deeply contemplating.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Kim Han. I’m not a demon from a novel.”

“…What? Ah, I know. You’re not a demon, but a god. And not from the Demon God faction, but a neutral god. That’s settled, but can I ask a simple question?”

“…Of course. I thought it was unusual that Mr. Kim Han had no questions, as most candidate proxies would bombard me with many.”

She clearly just ground her teeth. She smiled with trembling lips.

She’s sick. Crazy woman.

“About Mina. Oh, my sister. Is it a disease? A curse?”

“…!!”

Perhaps because of multiple surprises and emotions being revealed, Ludicer’s face showed a clear expression of shock.

The brief smile disappeared, and an expression of horror gradually spread across her entire face.

Suddenly, I laughed at the thought that I acted like an idiot for ten years before regression to get attention from this clueless woman.

“Tsk. Never mind.”

“…How did you…?”

“Your expression answered enough. More importantly, can you show me a list of the powers you can grant me before I make my wish? Change it to the game system you’re good at.”

“…You know that too?”

She sighed as if giving up, waving her hand in the air. Then, various settings in Korean appeared in my view.

Endless lists continued. I threw a rotten smile at Ludicer and opened my mouth.

“Exclude the abilities that other gods, including the elemental system, possess.”

“…Why? Aren’t they cheap and efficient?”

“Just because?”

Where is this girl trying to sell her snake oil?

Abilities like fire, telekinesis, teleportation, and spatial control seem great at a glance, but they are literally just replicas.

Even when it comes to fire-related abilities, there are quite a few high-ranking, mid-ranking, and low-ranking gods associated with fire. The fire obtained through their settings and Ludicer’s fire is incomparable, they are on a different level.

But are such abilities unnecessary in themselves?

That is not the case.

However, there is no need to specifically receive that power from Ludicer. She is not the God of Fire.

What I needed was Ludicer’s unique power that no other high-ranking god possessed.