Chapter 183: The Familiar Ceiling (2)

For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

All stats greatly increased.

Mastery of all traits greatly increased.

Trait: Cult Abhorrence (C) greatly enhanced.

Trait: Blessing of the Sun God (B) greatly enhanced.

Trait: Blessing of All Gods (B) acquired.

Your fame echoes across the entire continent.

All Evil Gods’ cults designate you as an arch-enemy.

All Good Gods’ orders’ favorability greatly increases.

Title: Great Nemesis acquired.

Swoosh.

It was natural for my stats and traits to grow, but I never thought I’d get the title of Great Nemesis and the Blessing of All Gods so soon.

Both were usually obtained in the second or, more commonly, in the third year due to their stringent conditions.

This signified just how remarkable this achievement was.

I expected the Evil Gods’ cults to be grinding their teeth over this. I would have done the same.

But what exactly was the Righteous Radiance doing…?

Wasn’t it originally more, what should I say, solemn and robust? Like a majestic lion?

Well… I was grateful for the blessings being bestowed like this.

I swallowed and checked the gains first.

[Trait: Blessing of All Gods (B)]

All the Good Gods of the Eurelia Continent support and bless you.

You are worthy of this.

May the Gods' blessings be with your future.

Health and magic recovery speed increased by 50%.

All resistance increased by 30%.

Mental resistance increased by 20%.

A single instance of fatal damage nullified.

Overall, it was a defensive trait.

The effect that allowed me to avoid death even just once was undoubtedly the best.

The effect of increasing various resistances was also the highest among all traits.

Moreover, as this was a growth-type trait, performing deeds favored by the Good Gods and increasing its rank significantly strengthened its effects.

Especially for the tank job classes, reaching the highest S-rank would grant almost immortal toughness, but…

There was an issue even with such a good trait.

It only applied when you were on the Eurelia Continent.

It was fine in dungeons, as they were parts of what used to be the Eurelia Continent, but in the domains of Evil Gods, the effect would be reduced by more than half.

Especially the resurrection effect becomes a chance-based activation, which caused a few keyboard shotguns.

Well… in other words, it was a trait that could shine in all places except the final chapter.

The sooner you acquire it, the better.

I looked at the last effect that would serve as sturdy insurance and moved on to the next notification.

[Title: Great Nemesis]

You are the Great Nemesis of all Evil Gods and their worshiping cultists.

They will hate and also fear you.

All abilities increased by 20% when facing enemies of the Evil Gods’ cults.

It had a simple yet powerful effect. Moreover, it had high versatility.

The title applied not only to cultists but also to monsters and Evil Gods themselves.

However, it did not include a limit break effect, so it couldn’t exceed the caps of stats or traits.

It was somewhat disappointing, but considering the enemies I’d face in the future, it was a great title to have this early on.

Now, there were two remaining. These were the traits I already had that were strengthened.

[Trait: Cult Abhorrence (A)]

You've not only ruined several plans of the cultists, but you've also eliminated their high-ranking officers.

Anyone would clearly see you as a bona fide cultist hater!

Of course, the cultists hate you too.

Damage dealt to cultists increased by 20%.

Damage received from cultists increased by 10%.

※This trait can be deactivated.

I didn’t expect to reach the highest rank so soon. It was very handy and stackable with the title of Great Nemesis. It had served me well this time, too.

The increased damage taken was a concern, but… after all, a magician doesn’t fight by taking hits. It was more about striking first.

In any case, it was more beneficial for me.

Next up… it must be that.

With a slightly excited heart, I checked the system window.

[Blessing of the Sun God (A+)]

The brightest existence above the sky. The God of the Sun shares his radiance with you.

Health and magic recovery speed increased by 350% when under the sun's light.

Light attribute damage increased by 25%.

Significant increase in the Church of Righteous Radiance's favorability.

???

I heard it was a significant increase, but wasn’t this too much?

I could understand why Cult Abhorrence rose easily, but a blessing is a trait that rises only when a God personally bestows his power.

And the current Good Gods were so powerless they couldn’t even appoint apostles and were in a pitiful state.

Usually, apostles, like saints, receive an S-rank blessing. The candidates receive an A-rank blessing.

Right now, having received an A+, I could frankly say I was a more promising apostle candidate than Helena.

…Why did it increase so much? Could it be that they were considering appointing me as an apostle?

If such an offer comes, I plan to reject it outright, which I feel a bit sorry about.

But well… I didn’t ask for it, and since they gave it to me first, maybe I should just be thankful and use it well?

I resolved to train not only in elemental magic but also in light attribute magic as I opened the status window for the last time.

Name: Yandel

Title: Ghost Buster -> Great Nemesis

Basic Abilities

Strength: 15 -> 18

Endurance: 14 -> 17

Agility: 15 -> 18

Skill: 16 -> 18

Magic: 22 -> 24

Traits

Endless Mana (A)

Elemental Affinity (B)

Excellent Memory (B)

Ordinary Weapon Skill (D+) -> (C+)

Lintblum Mana Core (C+) -> (B+)

Junior Magician (C+) -> Intermediate Magician (B)

Blessing of the Sun God (B) -> (A+)

Cult Abhorrence (C) -> (A)

Weak Constitution (C)

Elemental Combination (A)

Blessing of the Sea (B+)

Blessing of All Gods (B)

“……”

Did I become too powerful…?

How could a magician’s physical stats be on the level of aura users?

Of course, since I couldn’t enhance with aura, I would be pushed back in a real fight with an aura user, but it was absurd just to match their pure physicality.

And magic power. It had already risen to 24. Normally, mid-20s stats were only achievable by the third year.

Well, catching cultists much earlier could be seen as a kind of achievement acceleration.

Getting stronger earlier didn’t mean I could stack more stats. After all, the number of dungeons and cultists was finite.

Unless I gained some enlightenment, my cap was set.

But it did mean I could disrupt the cultists’ plans and destroy them more quickly.

This would naturally lead to weakening the Evil Gods’ cults in the final chapter, and significantly increase the chances of survival for me and those around me.

But what happens after I defeat the final boss?

Maybe because I saw Iona achieve her revenge, I couldn’t help but think about the story after the ending.

After achieving my goal, they wouldn’t send me back to my original world, right?

I didn’t know who brought me here, but if they tried to throw me away after using me, I’d resist with all my might.

By then, I’d have grown to almost a demi-god level, so shouldn’t I be able to manage somehow?

…No, that was too negative a thought.

There was a time when Gods themselves roamed the earth. They wouldn’t drive out just a few demi-gods.

The epilogue in the game did feel like somewhere on the Eurelia continent, where the characters lived happily ever after.

I could establish a country if I wanted, but… let’s think about that carefully.

Considering relationships with other nations or orders, and the basic duties of governance, it might be even more tiring.

Power and honor were fine, but I preferred just having fun and relaxing.

I turned off the status window, gazed idly at the ceiling, and let my mind wander.

Thinking about retirement in this world, preparing for the worst-case scenario, ways to overcome lifespan issues, etc.

It was like imagining winning the lottery or suddenly encountering a terrorist, but it was a pleasant time to have after a long time.

However, I couldn’t just play around forever.

Due to buffs applied to their limits or magic used recklessly without enlightenment, I sustained some internal injuries.

Just like Carla said, I really needed to rest.

With that thought, I slowly closed my eyes… but the sensation of being drained by Iona kept disturbing my sleep.

It felt like there were only two of us left in the world. A bliss close to ecstasy.

It seemed to be getting addictive.

When fighting the villainous vampires, there were those who would offer their blood willingly.

Watching from beyond the screen, it seemed like they were simply enchanted… but now I know. They were just conditioned to the pleasure.

“Sigh…”

I sighed deeply and opened my eyes again.

It can’t be helped. Since I can’t sleep, I might as well do something else in the meantime.

I picked up the book Carla had left. She said to read it if I was bored, right?

I turned on the lamp on the table, and the title of the book became visible.

[Imperial Collection of Chuckles]

“???”

That was a familiar title. It reminded me of when I first bought Carla.

Bored, I asked for a fun story, and got these strange jokes instead…

Still, you never know, so I flipped through the pages. Maybe Carla only remembered the boring parts, and the book itself could actually be fun.

Rustle.

Q: What happens if you eat a duck raw?

A: You get a tornado. ¹

Q: Which number makes everyone around get up?

A: Five. ²

Q: Which plant makes everyone get undressed?

A: A mushroom. ³

Q: What was beer’s last word?

A: “Brewmor.” ⁴

“Argh!”

I almost threw the book in frustration but managed to hold back.

Still, it was somewhat thoughtful of Carla to bring it, so throwing it would be a bit much…

It wasn’t Carla’s fault. It was this world’s sense of humor.

“Sigh… Hoo…”

I took a deep breath to calm down.

I put the book back where it originally was and closed my eyes. I didn’t intend to, but the irritation from before made the sensation of being drained fade a bit.

Now, I might be able to sleep.

Thanks to a brief but intense encounter with Carla, my body felt just lazily relaxed enough.

As soon as I closed my eyes this time, sleepiness quickly swept over me.

Just as the sensation in my limbs faded and my mind grew foggy, about to fall asleep…

Creak.

The faint sound of a door opening.

The intensive care unit wasn’t open for just anyone to visit. It must be someone I knew.

Could it be Carla? No, if she were coming back, she would have stayed here to handle things.

Then it must be Elisha, who had come a bit early. She probably entered quietly, not to do anything particular but to sleep as well.

I was a bit awakened but still in a drowsy state as I shifted my body to the side.

I intended to make room for Elisha.

Squeeze.

But the person who climbed onto the bed just stayed put, not trying to lie next to me.

Instead, what I felt was a persistent gaze.

…What?

There was no hostility. But it was also not a familiar presence. With my now fully awake mind, I pretended to toss and turn while sneakily squinting open.

The intruder didn’t notice, but from my side, I made sure I could see at least faintly.

“Hmm.”

Through the thin slit of my eyelids, what I saw was…

Eyes staring intensely down at me, blood-red.

“AAAAAAHHHH! A ghost…!”

“Shh! Quiet!”

The intruder covered my mouth and whispered softly.

“Be quiet! What if someone hears us?!”

“Mmph! Mm!”

Was she planning something that would be a big problem if anyone heard?!

The moonlight pouring through the window illuminated dark red hair.

Right. If vampires were ghosts, they were ghosts.

For some reason, Iona, who had sneaked into my bed, flashed a playful smile.

“Iona appears!”

1. ED/N: This joke plays on the double meaning of the word "duck" in Korean. In Korean, "오리" (ori) means both "duck" and "tornado." So, the joke suggests that if you eat a raw duck, you'll get a tornado, playing on the homophones. ️

2. ED/N: In Korean, the number "five" is pronounced as "오" (o). The word for "get up" in Korean is "일어나" (ireona), which sounds similar to "오" (o). So, the joke relies on the similarity in pronunciation between the number five and the phrase "get up." ️

3. ED/N: This joke is a play on words using the Korean word for mushroom, "버섯" (beoseot). The word for "undress" or "take off clothes" in Korean is "벗다" (beotda). So, the joke suggests that a mushroom (beoseot) makes everyone "beotda" (undress) due to the similarity in sound. ️

4. ED/N: This joke is a play on words in English using the word "beer." The punchline "Brewmor" is a play on the phrase "brew more," suggesting that the last word of beer would be a request to brew more of it. ️