episode_0027

“But how are we really going to handle Dike?”

To be honest, Adikia had been half-joking about offering up Dike as a sacrifice to the foreign gods. However, um… looking at Yudahee gazing at the currently unconscious Dike, it seemed like she might actually go through with a ritual sacrifice.

“Um… well…”

Adikia, who was just smiling without saying a word, somehow began to feel a little scared.

Having experienced firsthand what it means to deviate from one’s standards, he knew better than anyone else. Those who wield an axe at the slightest deviation from their own criteria are truly insane. But precisely because of that, Adikia, who had become somewhat aligned with them, felt even more reassured.

“Just in case I’m asking, sacrificing him… it’s not like actually killing his divine body or anything, right? Killing the divine body doesn’t mean the deity dies, but…”

The worried look from Adikia reached Dike, who was sticking out his tongue.

“Are you worried about Dike?”

At those words, Adikia seemed startled and flustered as if stung.

“No! I’m not worried about Dike dying… it’s what happens after he dies that concerns me…! If Dike’s divine body dies, the contract will break… then there will undoubtedly be problems with the dimensional safe, which in turn could cause issues with double contracts…”

“For someone who was previously trying so hard to drag him out of the arena by force, weren’t you?”

“Well, I thought that after kicking him out with nothing left… once he hits rock bottom, this guy would come to his senses… No, wait! No! That’s not it.”

Adikia shook his head vigorously while shouting.

Of course, from Yudahee’s perspective, watching from a distance, it was quite an amusing situation. Strong denial is said to be a form of affirmation. The guy who used to hate it to death was actually worried and, on one hand, felt anxious, wanting to take care of him, but in doing so, had no choice but to act wickedly. This is such a cliché, isn’t it?

Hey, try, try.

“We’re not going to kill him or anything.”

“Yeah, as expected, right?”

“Even though they call it a sacrifice, we’re not really going to be pulling out hearts like ancient Aztecs or twisting necks and making intestines into jump ropes. Come on, this is the modern age; we should do things a bit smarter.”

“….”

For some reason, Adikia felt even more uneasy at the thought of not killing.

“But still, some level of brainwork is necessary.”

After all, gamblers would bet with their toes if their hands were cut off, and if their toes were gone, they’d bet with their mouths—those crazy people. But… wouldn’t anyone’s mindset change after receiving just a single piece of external information? The sensation of tentacles extending deep into the cerebral cortex…! I’ll show you the full course of external information, so you can see for yourself…! It might be to the point where I can’t even speak, but well, that’s what it will take to fix all of Dike’s bad habits.

“…What? Brain…?”

Not understanding, Adikia asked, but Yudahee pretended not to hear.

If you touch the spiritual body too strongly, your mind could collapse, and if you’re too weak, there could be a reverse effect, leading to this filthy disposition becoming even stronger. There were side effects that could turn a simple gambling addict into a degenerate, even producing the opposite effect…!

It was a situation where a being capable of controlling such subtlety had to be summoned. Dozens, hundreds of names flashed through Yudahee’s mind… Just as an appropriate one came to mind, unfortunately, it wasn’t something to be dealt with right now.

There was no precedent for doing it immediately.

Suddenly, Valkyries from the Management Bureau could come barging in, claiming some sort of Earth law violation—such a situation was possible. If Atlaq Nacha alone could cause that, then finding out that other extraterrestrial beings could also get involved? Maybe I really won’t be able to participate in the arena itself.

So, rather than doing it right now, it would be wiser to stir things up at the arena, at the scene itself. If there are two things to be done separately, it’s better to do them together if they can be handled at once.

Why did Mikaela say such a thing?

“In the arena, any power is allowed, and no one questions the responsibility for it.”

In the sacred gallery, the punitive measures were taken due to the contamination of Necronomicon’s spirit. However, the Management did not intervene solely because the Great Old One was summoned from outer space.

So, does that mean… as long as it doesn’t completely destroy the arena like before, I can let it frolic as much as it wants?

Yudahee’s own plan was gradually taking shape in her mind.

She thought there couldn’t be a perfect crime as committing something without accountability.

After cross-referencing the rules registered in the sacred gallery and the contents written in Dike’s [Guide for Goddesses Traveling the Arena…], she confirmed that there were no issues within the arena.

“First place, can I achieve it?”

“No, tell me what you’re scheming! I’m your contracted goddess, right? Where on earth is a contractor who doesn’t even tell their assigned goddess!!!”

Adikia grabbed Yudahee’s arm with all her might and hung onto it, but Yudahee wasn’t someone who would easily reveal anything just because of that.

“It will be revealed in 60 seconds… Ah, was it two days?”

“Just tell me!”

It was a completely futile plea.

===============================================

Time passed quickly.

“Are you all prepared?”

“As long as I have my Varisadam, I’m ready!”

Penelope held Varisadam and blinked, murmuring to herself, “Ah, this cool and solid sensation…”

Immediately, Balkan’s supersonic Honey Trap aimed at Penelope…!

With a sound, Penelope cringed.

She hoped her contractor would wise up, but could he really?

If Balkan hadn’t collected her, would she have been wrapped in a blanket somewhere, spending the whole day online watching Bill Gates and Kibe videos – why did she think that?

Tsk tsk

Balkan, with a cold tongue, suddenly found himself in the waiting room where many sacred beings had gathered.

Honestly, he thought it might feel awkward since it was newly opened, but it wasn’t much different from the old waiting room.

The billboard on the wall had simply been enlarged to fit the larger arena. Nevertheless, Penelope’s gaze was darting around as if she were exploring the entire building for the first time.

“But were there this many devotees here…? I don’t remember it being like this…”

It felt like her shoulders were being brushed by devotees with every step she took.

“Well, it’s the first match of the second arena, so it’s natural that there would be an overflow of spectators coming to watch.”

While some chose to watch the broadcast in the devotee gallery without coming to the arena, it seemed that most devotees participated, likely due to the commemorative nature of the match.

Perhaps due to the crowd, Penelope, holding Barisada tightly, looked around tensely and then suddenly pointed at something as if she had discovered it.

What she saw was Yoo Da-hee, neatly dressed unlike the last time. Previously, there wasn’t a primitive look anywhere to be found, but now he was decently equipped.

“Hmm…”

From Balkan’s perspective, it was far from satisfactory… yet considering the extremely rushed preparation time, one could give him some credit.

Parashu, which had been handed to him last time, was hanging from his waist.

Just as Balkan recognized Yoo Da-hee, Yoo Da-hee also recognized Balkan and approached, waving his hand.

“Aren’t you going to have any popcorn today? There’s nothing quite like stealing and eating it.”

“Haha, you have to have popcorn to eat it, and besides, you—”

Balkan’s eyes turned toward Yoo Da-hee’s side.

What was there was not Yoo Da-hee’s contracted person, Dike, but Adikia, who didn’t hide a somewhat sullen expression at all.

Judging by the faintly connected traces of divine power, it seemed that the two had made a contract.

“Did you really discard Dike?”

He didn’t seem like the type to do that, but was it just his misconception?

As Balkan tilted his head, Yoo Da-hee waved his hand back and forth.

“Oh, I didn’t discard him. He’s just waiting outside for a moment. We made a dual contract.”

“A dual contract?”

Balkan’s gaze shifted between Yoo Da-hee and Adikia.

Then, as if something came to mind, instead of nodding, he made a thoughtful expression.

“Indeed, the rumors were true… Bringing popcorn, no less…”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that!”

“You’re quite strong.”

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that! This darn inspiration is real!!!”

Though Adikia, who was next to Yudahee, vocally denied it, her actions only drew more attention from those around her.

[Just spotted Yudahee at the arena lol]

-1111.jpg

-Um, they seem to be talking with Balkan and Mian, but I just noticed that the original contract goddess, Dike, isn’t around. Instead, Adikia has taken her place.

-I saw in the last video that Adikia was chopped up with an axe, why the sudden change in direction to this side?

-I’m nearby too, and from what I’ve heard, it seems like there was no contract termination. Considering the talk about double contracts, it seems like both of them are under a contract.

-So, was that actually true? A love triangle contract, wow. Honestly, I thought it was all just a hoax, but it seems it’s for real.

[They’re talking about a double contract, could being alone mean…?]

-The fact that the first contract goddess, Dike, isn’t visible… suggests that Yudahee’s heart is already leaning towards Adikia… While Adikia goes out to the arena with Yudahee to enjoy the matches, Dike remains alone, watching the broadcast, lamenting over the match she couldn’t participate in, saying, “If it were me, I could have done better.”

-What’s going on in this guy’s head to think like that? Haha.

-Soft NTR self-consolation… This is something else…

-Where do you even find “soft” in NTR, this crazy cultist.

-Still, if in the end it returns to the protagonist, wouldn’t that be a mild taste?

-Where are you even from?

Amidst the deteriorating quality of the gallery’s conversation, Yudahee remained focused on her task. She checked her physical condition one last time, making sure nothing was missing…

Zing—.

She kept feeling numerous divine gazes directed at her. While she tried to brush off the gazes of many deities looking her way, this was something she simply couldn’t ignore, as it seemed to be expressing hostility rather than mere curiosity.

When she looked to her side, a girl standing behind Balkan was glaring in their direction, holding a sword close to her chest.

A white hair that falls down to the waist, clothes resembling a baggy dobok, and an unmistakably large chest.

“Wow.”

It seemed like Yudahee’s ideal type was being stimulated… but, well…

She wasn’t wearing glasses.

That’s a shame…

After all, glasses are the finishing touch that completes everything. Without them, it’s like a fish-shaped bun without red bean filling or a cola without fizz.

“Oh, I didn’t introduce her. This is my contractor, Penelope. She’s a winner just like you.”

At Balkan’s introduction, Yudahee’s eyes widened slightly.

She didn’t seem like much at first glance… but since they knew each other, there was no harm in shaking hands.

“Low quality!”

She got rejected.

Her posture seemed like she could draw a sword at any moment.

Of course, along with those words, a *pop*! Balkan’s honeyed gaze hit Penelope.

Before she could even react, Penelope stood up like a spring, leaving Yudahee slightly dazed.

‘Ugh… the opponent is a monster who destroys pure love NTR…!’ muttered Yudahee, but she succumbed again to Balkan’s potent honeyed gaze.

“I’m sorry, it’s because my only contractor looks like this.”

“Well… I understand.”

There were so many strange people and rumors circulating around here.

More importantly…

Stepping forward, Yudahee moved toward Penelope, who in turn took a step back.

This sight caught Yudahee’s attention.

She had thought she was just dealing with a crazy woman, but unconsciously, she was adjusting the distance between them to match the length of the sword, which seemed to be about 80cm.

Penelope could always reach Yudahee, but Yudahee’s parasol, tucked into her waist, was beyond Penelope’s reach.

An absolute distance.

And as soon as they both realized what that distance meant, their expressions changed slightly.

Indeed, being a winner wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

Quickly searching for Penelope, Yudahee discovered that she was a second-year contractor with five victories under her belt.

Others said that even placing within the top 10 would break personal records.

Perhaps one of those who might win this match, and in terms of rank, is on par with Yoo Da-hee’s SSR.

Penelope with a short sword.

Yoo Da-hee won through dirty tricks using Atlock Nacha, but Penelope truly seized victory through a real struggle with her opponent.

It was obvious that the martial skill she had accumulated was by no means shallow. Still…

“Hmm… If I roll the dice well, maybe it’ll be over in four… no, five turns…?”

===============================================

Penelope, too, was equally bewildered.

She almost panicked at the sound of Yoo Da-hee’s approaching footsteps.

It seemed like he was simply pushing forward in a crude manner, but there was absolutely no gap in his posture.

It was clearly within Penelope’s reach to swing her barisada and cut the opponent’s throat directly… so why?

The possibility of winning just didn’t seem to register.

There was a completely different sense of pressure than what she had seen in the video.

Is this really the atmosphere of someone who has only participated in the arena once as a contracted fighter?

Don’t be ridiculous. It felt like an intense smell of blood was emanating, causing goosebumps to rise on Penelope’s arms.

She made assumptions.

If she were to draw her sword right now, could she easily take Yoo Da-hee’s life?

She imagined swinging her sword, but instead of cutting Yoo Da-hee’s throat, she saw his axe being driven into her own head first.

“….”

This is more monstrous than I thought.

Penelope chewed on the fact that the previous match footage did not show even 1% of the danger Yoo Da-hee posed.