episode_0044

［I hope that you all have the strength to protect yourselves in this harsh land, and may you seize a future where you are not swept away by irrational violence to protect this land.］

Goddess Shaela.

She spoke.

She will help you become stronger quickly, so please help yourselves.

“Is there really a goddess…?”

“Huh. Am I seeing things correctly right now?”

“Look up at the sky. Isn’t the all-powerful and beautiful goddess watching over us here with a veil of mist? Oh… this is not a dream!!”

Thus, she bestowed a mission.

She planted a goal and boosted their determination.

The humans who newly joined in awe of her majestic presence, while unable to contain their astonishment at Shaela’s appearance, immediately became interested in the fruits.

“Is this a newly blessed fruit?”

“Strangely, the crops have been changing on their own for the past few days. If that’s not a blessing, what is?”

“Even the fruits ripened in just a few days…”

“Fruits imbued with the blessings of the World Tree and the goddess. I wonder how they taste!”

The genetically modified fruits bloomed beautifully.

Since the farm had been greatly expanded, there was no shortage of quantity. Although it consumed a lot of nutrients, it would bring even greater benefits in the future.

“Wow!! Just eating it makes you level up, it’s on a different level from what we used to eat!!?”

“I can’t believe it!! I just tried using an emotional skill, and it turned out to be a rare-grade potion!! This is not just a fruit to fill your stomach!!”

“This is a blessing!!….”

“Oh goddess! According to your will, we will fight against evil!!!”

Look.

They were so happy and jumping around.

Most of those emotions were replaced by a noble mission to protect the village.

“Eating this and training will make your abilities increase faster. Hurry, let’s go train!!”

Thanks to this, a training craze ignited.

Praising Shaela as a faithful servant of the goddess, they started training, unable to focus due to the effects of the fruits.

But that’s not all.

There were also groups of humans who voluntarily offered to help.

“Do you need any help?”

“We can’t just stand by like this!”

“We’ve organized a party for reconnaissance. It would be good to rescue more humans here.”

Perhaps this was also the work of the goddess.

She knew how to handle people.

As various situations overlapped, the positive effects were gradually amplifying.

To summarize the current situation:

1. Rescue the abandoned people and make them aware of the dangerous and despairing reality of the 0th floor.

2. Make the village the only sanctuary by using the help of the elves and the hope of the goddess.

3. Instill a sense of belonging and mission to quickly become stronger in preparation for external threats with the grace of the World Tree and the goddess.

4. Enjoy strengthening the body with the blessed fruits and help the village or focus on training.

5. When the time is right, Shaela officially reveals herself and instills faith.

6. This is passed down to newcomers, creating a cycle of steps 1-5.

Through a total of 6 steps, the people became faithful workers and warriors of the village.

To be honest, it’s not even gaslighting.

Shaela is truly a goddess, and the outside of the village is dangerous.

And as they come together like this.

“We will become faithful servants of the goddess.”

Faith also spread rapidly, and people who were influenced in real-time appeared. With those who have this cult-like tendency, one might think that Shaela could fill a pit with just a word.

But even if that’s not the case, it doesn’t matter.

This ideology has definitely been planted.

Just by eating and training, they become stronger.

It’s all thanks to the World Tree and the goddess.

They must protect this place from the dangerous outside.

That’s how it is.

As time passes, humans will quickly become stronger and grow into a great army.

“Oh… thank you for your great blessings.”

“Wow!! My body feels invigorated!!”

“Alright, small and precious fruit… It’s a shame, but I will eat it as the will of the Divine and become stronger!!!”

​

As for the elves, there’s nothing to say.

After being worshipped and prayed to, I consumed the fruit and zealously devoted myself to training.

​

Training is simple.

With the elves following the Divine’s will, we learn archery, swordsmanship, magic, and elemental magic.

With this measure, everyone will grow significantly, if not as much as Floren, and their power will move for me and Shayla.

​

“…I should have done this sooner.”

​

It turned out better than I thought.

I simply changed my perspective.

Rather than showing kindness to humans, I gave them clear relationships to follow, and that alone quickly strengthened the village’s power.

​

Endless human resources being discarded.

A village that strengthens itself by recycling such humans.

How will this place change in a few months, a few years?

​

I began to genuinely wonder.

*

114th day in the Misty Forest.

I reaffirmed my goals.

Prepare for the city or any potential threats. As a means to that end.

1. My own training.

2. Strengthening the Divine’s elves.

3. Augmenting the power of the elf village.

These were the three things I had decided on.

​

The third one is almost resolved.

With the foundation laid, as more humans join and beings like dryads are born, the power will quickly strengthen.

​

The second one is not yet time.

To make each one comparable to slave hunters, more understanding of physical modification is needed.

I will address it when more significant results like dryads emerge.

​

So, what remains is the first one.

I need to become stronger myself.

It’s not just about building a strong body, but also knowing how to fight.

​

Therefore.

​

“I want to learn magic. Renia.”

​

“I’ll go right away!!”

​

The most outstanding elf mage.

I called forth the fourth Renia.

*

Thud!!

“I, I have arrived!!”

The fourth Renia.

She rushed from her home to mine shortly after being called.

I observed her for a moment.

Female.

Blue hair.

Not as agile as other elves, but possessing the highest magical skills among them.

She must be perfect as a magic mentor.

Tsk~

At that moment, Shayla, who had been tossing and turning on the bed, popped out.

Swoosh.

“Right~ Welcome.”

“Uh!?….”

Just as she did to me, Shayla immediately began petting Renia’s head.

Purr~

She was completely enveloped in a golden light.

“Ah… It’s, it’s getting warmer……”

Renia was captivated in an instant.

Lately, every time Shayla sees a Divine elf, she rushes at them like that.

Interestingly, she only does this with Divine elves, ignoring High Elves or regular elves.

By the way, the victims are already five.

Illian.

Tinia.

Kasyan.

Messiah.

And now Renia.

All of them allowed Shayla’s touch.

Their reactions were all different.

Illian seemed stiff at first, but eventually enjoyed the touch without saying a word. Tinia jumped up, calling it the touch of the Divine. Kasyan remained silent, while Messiah expressed reverence, saying it was a pleasant flow.

And Renia.

“I envy the Divine… ”

She said, jealous of me.

That’s how good Shayla’s touch felt.

I understand. It’s even hard to resist being petted by her.

Above all, growth is amplified.

Tinia, who received the touch first, now looks more powerful than before.

In simple terms, it’s an experience point buff.

Even without physical enhancement, growth accelerates significantly with Shayla’s touch. If combined with training, they will become much stronger much faster.

Perhaps Shayla herself knows this.

Now she openly seduced the elves.

“Faithful servant of the Divine. Come to me anytime and receive grace.”

“Ah!!…”

A more solemn tone than usual.

And Renia, completely immersed in it.

Now even the elves are getting involved.

It’s confusing…

Swoosh~

Hehe.

Shael subtly glanced at me while petting Renia. The way his lips curved seemed to ask, “Do you want me to pet you too?”

I sighed lightly and tilted my head.

After petting Renia a few more times, Shael seemed satisfied and retreated back to the bed.

Now, let’s get back to the main topic.

“Renia. As I mentioned, I plan to learn magic. So, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes!! I will dare to offer my humble and limited knowledge to the divine lord, even at the risk of my life!!”

Daring to risk his life.

Humble and limited knowledge.

I can roughly understand his personality.

He’s a guy who is unnecessarily boastful and humble at the same time.

I won’t say anything.

I respect their individuality.

It’s fun to see such bravado.

“Then let’s go outside.”

*

“Mu Chan-nim? Good morning.”

As soon as we went outside, Floren approached me.

He was also holding the staff made by Volkan and Fermion tightly.

Come to think of it, he was also a mage.

And the aura he exuded was strong.

Continuously eating fruits and repeating training, he had become much stronger than before.

Level is the proof.

He is the highest level among humans.

“You’re getting stronger.”

“Hehe~ Thanks to the new fruit. Your fruit had resistance, so the effect was reduced by 90%, but this one is only 50% so far. There are many other fruits, so I can continue to get stronger. And it’s more fun to train with more people.”

“Is training about magic?”

“Of course. I’m a mage.”

“I want to see your skills.”

“Me?”

Since we’re here, might as well make the most of it.

I have no choice but to take him with me.

“Floren. I want to learn magic, can you help me?”

“Magic? Then you should have called me right away!”

“Then let’s go together.”

“Hehe. I’ll show you my growth.”

He readily agreed.

We moved again with him.

However.

“…Why are you following me?”

“Just bored.”

For some reason, Shael followed behind.

I ignored her as she didn’t seem to be a hindrance.

And so, with Renia, Floren, and Shael, we headed out of the village.

At that moment, I suddenly thought.

Perhaps Shael can also use magic.

Maybe she can even learn the god’s magic.

That… we’ll find out soon.

*

Outside the Mist Forest.

The city of Namsoukmasu.

A place where evolved intelligent monsters, not humans or other races, mainly gather.

“It’s annoying. Those guys in the west have a wide territory. They keep sending the same ruler to harass us over such trivial matters and make our lives miserable every time…”

In a gloomy and spacious cave-like house, a monster grumbled to himself.

Ruler Swalius.

A 2m thick fleshy body.

A giant pupil in the center of the body.

A huge mouth at the back of the body.

48 tentacle arms.

24 tentacle legs.

He was a evolved tentacle monster with unique brainwashing and hypnosis abilities imprinted in his pupil, who ruled over many female slaves and tentacle offspring.

However, he was currently feeling very uncomfortable.

Not long ago, his child sent to the Mist Forest got into a conflict with the western hunters over territory issues, and as a result, the western ruler Agturkus personally warned him.

Ignoring that warning, he now saw his child return as a corpse.

If they come any further, he won’t tolerate it, he threatened.

Naturally, he was not in a good mood.

“Hehehe… the more I think about it, the more I don’t like it. If you guys keep coming like this, I won’t just sit still.”

Therefore, he headed to the Mist Forest alone.

No one knew that he was out to seek revenge on the slave hunters in the western region.

Then there would be no problem with the territorial issue!

“Hahaha!!! Even thinking about it makes me excited!!”

And so.

He set out on an expedition to the Misty Forest with his many children.

Coincidentally.

It was in the direction of the Elven village.