Episode 186 – Clear Skies After the Storm

“Heok!”

As if struck by an electric shock, I woke up with a start, my eyes wide open as I sat up.

“Keueuk…. What….”

My mind still hazy, I clutched my throbbing head and groaned.

Gripping my disoriented head, I looked around and confirmed that I was back in my room.

‘I definitely went down to the basement… and after seeing the statue… Ah…’

The encounter with the goddess and her gift, now that all my memories had returned, I frowned as I recalled the events.

‘Why… to a goddess….’

It was utterly strange.

Having lived from my past life until now without a shred of faith, I felt even more out of place.

Even if I could feel some liking towards her for treating even ant-like people equally from her position as an arrogant god…

The emotions I felt when I saw the goddess back then were not just a slight liking for someone I was meeting for the first time.

It was the very emotion of looking at a mother.

“Uuup….”

Recalling that infinite trust and affection again, I felt as if nauseating sour water was rising from within.

This… was clearly strange.

Just like a puppy raised by human hands instinctively feels affection for humans, I even felt fear at the emotion that was so natural and yet invaded my mind.

Shivering from the chill running down my spine, I could only make one resolution for myself with a pale face.

‘From now on… let’s not meet gods…’

I really don’t want to meet them again.

Kkiiik…

At that moment, the door opened.

Turning my gaze, I saw Sui standing beyond the door, her eyes wide as she looked at me.

A moment of silence passed, and then Sui smiled brightly and approached me energetically as always.

“Grace-nim! You’re awake? Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah… How long has it been since I fainted?”

“Euum~ It’s been about a day now!”

“Haa… Is that so? How’s Ian doing?”

“Master-nim just woke up too! I came to check just in case Master-nim had woken up~ Hehehe, I did well, right?”

“Heh, yeah, yeah, you did well.”

Feeling the throbbing in my head quickly subside, I got out of bed.

“Can you quickly guide me to where Ian is?”

“Yes! Follow me~”

Following behind Sui, who was walking ahead, I fell deep in thought.

Now, I’ve really finished everything I needed to do in this city.

And at the same time, I could realize that the end of the journey was not far away.

The Orcs’ holy ground, visiting that place and enlarging my husband’s Vienna sausage a bit, and it will be completely over.

But at the same time… I couldn’t help but worry about what would happen after arriving there.

I’ve already met a god.

And I’m aware that she gave me some kind of gift.

I don’t know what kind of gift it is, but when I recall that memory, I clearly remember her saying that I would become the same race as her.

‘Race….’

What does it mean? I don’t understand the meaning.

But one thing is certain, the problem was that just becoming the same race as that god could attract the attention of other gods.

Especially since it’s the race of that goddess-nim… I was sure that I wouldn’t see anything good.

‘Then first, I need to find out what that race is… and avoid meeting gods as much as possible…’

“Here it is~ Master-nim~ Grace-nim is awake too!”

Walking along while worrying about this and that, I snapped out of it at Sui’s voice as she opened a door and shouted.

Entering the room, I saw my husband and the High Priest-nim sitting on chairs as if they were having a conversation.

Seeing the High Priest-nim, I was reminded of when I met the god, and I was slightly angry at the High Priest-nim for not warning me in advance, but I held back and approached them.

“Grace, are you okay?”

I nodded at my husband’s worried question and answered.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

At that moment, the High Priest-nim stood up from his seat and suddenly bowed his head and said.

“I’m really sorry. The Goddess-nim kept warning me not to say anything, so I unexpectedly made you two uneasy.”

I couldn’t say anything, like a mute who had swallowed honey, at the High Priest-nim’s attitude of suddenly apologizing to me.

And at the same time, knowing the attitude of the Goddess-nim I had met directly, I had no choice but to forgive him in the end.

Feeling slightly sorry for the High Priest-nim, I sighed deeply and said.

“Haa… You’ve been through a lot…”

“Hehehe… But there are more enjoyable days, so it’s okay.”

Certainly… he seems happy.

There was definitely fatigue on the High Priest-nim’s face, but it was overshadowed by the joy he had.

As I gave a wry smile, the High Priest-nim offered me a seat.

Accepting it, I sat down on the chair, and the High Priest-nim opened his mouth.

“Everyone must have met the Goddess-nim and received rewards. May I ask what rewards you received?”

“You go first.”

At my words, Ian nodded.

“The reward I received is… heumm, erectile, erectile strength.”

The gift Ian received, who said it shyly, was more disappointing than I thought.

Erectile dysfunction can be solved with medicine, so it was a rather unnecessary ability.

‘Erectile strength… does it mean exactly what it says?’

Still, it’s an ability given by that goddess-nim, so wouldn’t it be something different?

With that expectation, I looked at the High Priest-nim, and the High Priest-nim said with a subtle smile.

“The Goddess-nim must like Ian-nim too. To think you would receive such an ability…”

“Uh… is it a good thing?”

My husband didn’t seem to have high expectations either, as he gave the High Priest-nim a questioning look.

The High Priest-nim nodded and answered my husband’s and my questions.

“Yes, it’s a good ability. That ability allows you to instantly get an erection regardless of your level of excitement whenever you want to get it up, unless your energy is completely exhausted, and it also incredibly increases the rigidity and durability of your genitals. But… well, this overlaps with the gifts we gave you… It can’t be helped. We will give you other rewards. Ah, you can still take the pills.”

The High Priest-nim, who was explaining like a shot, couldn’t control his excitement as much as when he was exploring the power of God, and explained as if he was pouring out words in an instant. The High Priest-nim, realizing belatedly that he was excited, coughed awkwardly and asked me.

“What gift did Grace-nim receive?”

“Uh… she said she would make me part of some race….”

The High Priest-nim’s eyes widened the moment he heard my words. He was so surprised that he jumped up and shouted.

“A race?!”

“Uh, yes?”

Slightly intimidated by the High Priest-nim’s momentum, who was extremely excited and exhaling through his nose, I was embarrassed, and he realized that he was too excited and took a breath before looking at me again.

“Did you just say a race?”

“Euum… yes, she definitely said that.”

The High Priest-nim, still with excitement like flames in his eyes, sat down and let out an exclamation.

“A race… there hasn’t been anything like this in hundreds of years… Heoeo… First of all… I’m sorry. This is the first time in my life that I’ve seen the Goddess-nim accept a race…”

“Ah, it’s okay. But what does race mean?”

“Eum, Grace-nim, who is not a believer, probably doesn’t know. Race is exactly what it sounds like. It means that the Goddess-nim is accepting Grace-nim as the same race as herself.”

“… Does that mean”

“Yes, that’s right. From now on, Grace-nim’s body will slowly transform into the body of a god. Your body will become more and more adapted to magic power, your strength will increase, and you will become stronger and stronger, and eventually you will become completely assimilated with magic power, so that you will not even be injured by ordinary physical attacks. In other words, your body itself will turn into a mass of magic power. When that happens, you will no longer be a physical mortal, but a being one step higher. To think that I would see the Goddess-nim bestow such a blessing in my lifetime… Heoeoeo….”

Seeing the High Priest-nim constantly exclaiming, I could finally realize how great the blessing I had received was.

Feeling a great burden for some reason, I had no choice but to ask one thing.

“It sounds like I’ve received a very great blessing… So… does the person who receives this blessing… just have their body changed like that and that’s it?”

The High Priest-nim shook his head at my question, his eyes filled with even more intense excitement.

“No. Surely the Goddess-nim’s blessing wouldn’t end there. Heummheummheumm Now… Grace-nim, you have obtained the qualification to ascend to that heaven whenever you want!”

“…. No way”

“Yes! Although it’s a low position, to think that you can ascend to the position of a god, what great luck and glory this is! Hehehe, I’m really envious.”

At that moment, the High Priest-nim discovered my sullen face.

He had calmed down to some extent, and he looked at me cautiously and asked quietly.

“…… But Grace-nim doesn’t seem to want it very much.”

“Haha… Did you notice?”

The High Priest-nim was right.

I didn’t really want this blessing, which I felt was excessively generous.

“….. Don’t you like the blessing?”

“Isn’t that an obligation?”

“Yes?”

“That… ascension… or whatever it is. I don’t want to live as a god or whatever.”

“Ah… that, hehehe, usually no one would think that way… Euum… I see… No one has ever not ascended until now, but yes… I know it’s okay not to ascend. Usually no one has ever chosen not to ascend, but… Euum…”

“Then do I age normally?”

“Eueueueum…. Aging… probably won’t happen. Once you become a magical creature, lifespan becomes meaningless.”

“Euum… so I won’t die of old age…”

“Yes…”

“Thank you. I know everything I was curious about.”

“Euum… I understand.”

As I reacted sullenly, the High Priest-nim seemed to have completely lost his excitement.

But what can I do?

I never had such grand goals as becoming a god.

I just wanted to travel happily with my husband and live quietly in my hometown.

As the room became quiet, my husband let out a sigh of relief after listening to our conversation.

Did he think I was going to abandon him? Well, I really didn’t have any intention of doing that, but I felt good about the way he wanted to be with me.

In the meantime, my husband suddenly remembered something and made an Ah! sound and turned his gaze to me.

“Honey”

“Yeah?”

As I looked at him as if asking if he had something to ask, my husband looked at me as if he was really curious.

“I saw a woman who knew when I lost my memory at the barbarians’ camp, and you rescued all the women, right? Do you know where those people are?”

….. No way

“What did she look like?”

“Uh… she had purple hair and her name was Niel, I think?”

Ah… I thought I would never see her again… to think we would meet like this…

Quickly hiding my embarrassment, I answered as if I didn’t know.

“Ah, Niel… euum…. I don’t know where those people are…”

“Ah! If it’s the women rescued from the barbarians, I know where they are. They had nowhere to go, so we were protecting them. If you want, I can guide you right away.”

The High Priest-nim, who had been depressed because I was sullen as if I had received an unwanted gift, raised his head with a bang as if an opportunity had come, and said in a confident voice.

Damn it…