NOVEL WEB Chapter 7
When I was possessed before, and I always feel it during conversations, it’s not that it’s awkward to talk to game NPCs, but I wonder if there’s a lack of naturalness.
To those listening, it might seem like nonsense, but I’m just expressing my feelings from actual conversation.
There was not a single lie in my words.
If I said that it felt like selecting words from a fixed template like a programmed robot or artificial intelligence, and that I felt like I was forcibly fitting into that, how many people would believe me?
If I said that it felt stronger talking to a speaking doll than to a person, who would believe that?
I guess nearly no one would.
Unless you’re a main character of the protagonist’s party or a key figure, it’s hard to find someone who can converse naturally. The world I was just possessed in was filled with NPCs far removed from reality.
So, while I was grateful for realizing that it wasn’t reality, it was evident.
When Leticia or Leo looked at the repeatedly speaking shopkeeper NPC, wondering what was wrong with it as if I were the odd one, I felt chills run through my body.
“I seemed to be the only one who was abnormal.”
I realized painfully what it felt like to be treated like a strange person when you go to a village where people have one eye, and someone with two eyes stands out.
It’s a horrifying and chilling memory, so vivid that I still recall it.
Furthermore, it’s a bit sudden, but typically in game possession stories, when a protagonist becomes a character they created or a final boss, their behavior falls into one of two categories.
Either they take the game seriously and treat the world as reality, or they perceive the game as just a game.
These two approaches are clearly different.
But could there be commonalities despite the differences? The protagonist in the novels I’ve seen didn’t seem to have such traits, so isn’t that faulty logic?
That’s right. It makes sense. However, it is true that there are no commonalities.
Isn’t that funny?
With such different mindsets, how could there be commonalities?
Realistically, neither side can be definitively labeled as good. That’s why there are many moments when the protagonist feels frustrated, and in the case of overly kind or foolish protagonists, it only escalates.
As time passes, if the protagonist becomes more quirky, they often fall deeper into their character and become mad. Some even forget their memories of reality and live entirely as that character. If I hadn’t been able to communicate like a friend or lover with someone like Leticia or Leo, I might have lost my mind in that world.
From various perspectives, I am indeed a lucky guy.
I could belong to a normal hero party, rather than a trash-like hero party that either exiled the protagonist or was exiled by the protagonist, something you might expect from a typical hero party novel.
Although it wasn’t like how traditional hero parties are filled with camaraderie, they knew how to care for each other.
The only downside was that Ganf’s personality was quite nasty and prickly, but it wasn’t a big problem as it was our party.
As for the saint, Chloe, she was good-natured, so there were no issues getting close, and although Leo and I didn’t have a good relationship at first, we gradually improved it to the point where we considered each other as best friends.
My first encounter with Leticia couldn’t be described as good, but she was the most dependable ally and my crush among the party members.
So why am I randomly saying all this?
It’s just that I feel I might go crazy if I don’t say anything.
“The embrace of my mother was warm. The warmth and kindness I felt for the first time. Pride and self-esteem of being the first creature born. Since the moment I was born, I had what everyone in the world wanted. I was the blessed ‘Morning Star.’”
“…That same story for the second time… Can we move on from this quest? Please.”
“What? We just started, so listen closely. Ahem, angels born after me, as well as newly born humans on the ground, looked up to me.”
There’s no complicated reason.
Hearing the same story over and over is like listening to a CD on repeat, and any animal, even a human, could go insane from boredom.
That was precisely my state.
For hours, I had to endure listening to the goddess’s stories due to this quest, unable to give up.
If I give up on this, I can’t progress, so I had no choice but to listen. There were no options.
Yet, it seemed that the goddess had been quite lonely in this abyss all this time, as she had a lot to say. In such a space filled with darkness, it’s understandable she’d have lots to say, but it was just too much.
She was far more talkative than the grandmas or aunties babbling in the market.
Despite the atmosphere indicating she was a quiet, serious goddess with a tragic past, my fantasies were utterly shattered.
She was just an annoying, super chatty goddess who loved talking.
‘…Where did your dignity go, goddess? The charisma you had when I first saw you…?’
Not programmed speech, my foot.
Perhaps the game had indeed become more free, or the AI has improved significantly, as the goddess was busily spilling her story.
It might be a reality where the very concept of an NPC has vanished.
That would indeed be something. I merely gazed at the goddess calmly. I didn’t show any signs outwardly. The goddess seemed too absorbed in her chatter to care much.
She wouldn’t be curious about what I had to say, contrary to her intense focus on talking.
“I was like a shining star. In my youth, I wasn’t this hideous, disgusting appearance; I was an angel who received the trust, respect, and belief of all angels and humans alike. The number of angels who confessed to me easily surpassed a hundred.”
In short, in her youth, she was popular and received many confessions — a social butterfly.
“It was a happy life. There was more to have than there was to lack.”
That just meant she received a lot of tributes, so let’s ignore that.
Hearing such things was useless nonsense. Is there no skip button? My finger was itching to click the mouse.
Developers, come out! Operation team, come out!
If it’s a PC game, can’t they provide at least a story skip button?
“Humans offered piety, while angels endlessly provided food and entertainment. Thus, my power only grew stronger.”
I was truly drained.
There’s a limit to how much I can react while listening. I wished the quest would just be cleared quickly. I looked at the goddess, Lucifel, who was speaking animatedly, abandoning any serious demeanor.
With a triumphant expression on one side, she continued with a dark look, as if regretting something.
“Moreover, in my youth, I was arrogant. I was proud, considering everything in the world beneath me. Even the goddess who created me was no exception. My strength grew stronger and stronger, outclassing my younger brother, Mikael.”
That was the start of my sin. Lucifel said this.
“…Ah. Yes.”
“What’s with that bland reaction? Respond more enthusiastically. Do you not realize how honored you are to hear my past?”
Here we go again. I nodded vaguely.
“Of course.”
“My followers would cry and shout in a frenzy just from me sharing my past with them.”
“……It seems you had quite sensitive followers.”
That was the end of my sentiment. My role was merely to nod along to Lucifel’s words and respond leisurely.
Despite that, Lucifel seemed to like my attitude and smiled brightly.
“I apologize for bothering you. This old one has been a bit too lonely. Even though it’s not typically in my nature, being alone in a place like this made me feel lonely.”
A sorrowful smile. That distant smile resembled someone I loved, making it hard to look away. Ultimately, what came from my mouth was not rejection, but acceptance.
“…It’s alright. The truth is, I have nothing to do, and since I’m bound, the only one I can talk to is you, goddess.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
The sorrow of years was reflected on her face.
A goddess of the Mazoku.
She was the goddess whom I should bear antagonistic feelings towards, even without seeing her, due to being the one who caused the war.
But now, how could I hate a goddess filled with sorrow and emptiness, who surely had a deep story behind her? If someone asked me, I might hesitate.
After some contemplation, I might accept her, just as now. Just then, a shimmering system window appeared before my eyes.
[Please choose.]
Choose what?
[Select one option from the choices below.]
[1. Hey, you old hag! Who cares that you’re stuck here as an old-fashioned goddess? Find someone else to talk to.]
[2. How long have you been stuck in this abyss, Lord Lucifel?]
[3. You’re just a pathetic goddess, stuck here after being betrayed.]
What is this now?
I frowned. Now they’re even asking me to choose an option? Shouldn’t it be enough to toss in the towel already?
Thinking that it was excessive, I couldn’t voice it out loud, so I mentally sighed as I scanned the options.
Choosing options 1 or 3 would be incredibly foolish unless I had gone completely crazy. Rolling my eyes, I chose option 2. Then, I hesitated for a moment and finally opened my mouth first.
“How long have you been stuck in this abyss, Lord Lucifel?”
“…For a first question, that’s quite simple. Well, it’s not strange for a young Mazoku like you not to know, as that fellow likely erased my records from history.”
“Erased… them?”
“Indeed, erased. The woman who threw me into this place could do such a thing. It’s her specialty to outwardly package things nicely and act as if she’s praising you.”
It was nothing strange. Jealousy always tends to ruin beings. I was just the same. A bitter smile crept onto Lucifel’s face as she continued.
“Once was sufficient for regret.”
She spoke like she was letting go of her lingering attachments. Just as I was about to ask what she meant, the quest suddenly announced its conclusion.
[Main Quest: Let’s have a conversation with Goddess Lucifel.]
[The quest is complete. Goddess Lucifel felt satisfaction from her conversation with you. Therefore, having successfully ended your conversation with the goddess, please receive your rewards.]
[10,000 gold and Stat Points +6 have been granted.]
“…Huh?”
What was the main content of the quest? What just cleared it?
The conversation with Lucifel hadn’t even begun, but it ended abruptly. I turned to look at Lucifel as if seeking an answer and was taken aback. She was staring directly at me.
Then, suddenly, she erupted into laughter.
“It seems I’ve completed my task. How peculiar. Once, I saw the swordsman who decimated my children become a Mazoku.”
“…!! How?”
“I watched everything from this abyss. Quite amusing, watching him cut down my children.”
Lucifel’s voice was incredibly cold, yet it also carried a strange undertone of amusement.
“Only the strong possess the law, and only the strong hold the rights. The Mazoku exist under the law of the jungle. Therefore, I bear no grudge against you. My children were weak, and you were simply strong.”
Her voice was devoid of emotion. Just as I opened my mouth to respond, something unexpected occurred. A purple magic circle, similar yet distinct from the one I saw previously, glowed beneath my feet.
This too was a magic circle I’d never seen before.
Even when I was Demon Redius, I had never encountered a special magic circle like this. If it resembled any, it was perhaps a summoning magic. As I scrutinized it, the goddess unexpectedly answered me kindly.
“It’s summoning magic. It seems someone is calling for you. Unlike a one-sided summoning magic, it seems somewhat ominous.”
As I gazed blankly, Lucifel soon wore a knowing expression and started to laugh. The chains binding Lucifel moved in concert with her movements.
“You really have terrible luck. It’s quite fascinating. Is there someone left in this world who can perform the taboo magic of ‘Demon Summoning,’ which vanished long ago?”
“…What did you say?”
“Cook, may this become an amusing game. Our chat was quite delightful, Charlotte Seclymen.”
Having called my name so casually without having introduced herself before, I found I no longer had the energy to ask her about it.
As I surrendered my body to the summoning magic, a vast amount of mana enveloped the surroundings, and at last, Lucifel’s last words reached my ears.
“This summoning magic isn’t just for summoning demons; it also calls for a certain special someone. Keep that in mind and return safely.”
With those words, my vision reversed.