Chapter 97

### Chapter 96: How to Steal a Woman (1-1)

"I'll be back."

"Be careful!"

"I hope you come back safely."

"Have a good trip, nya!"

I entered the warp case, receiving the farewells of the three sisters (?). As I stepped inside, the door closed, and Armonia, dressed in a captain's uniform, addressed the three.

("This area is now a restricted zone. Please leave.")

("Yes.")

With Viola's cheerful response, the other two also answered and left the warp room. Armonia began her briefing in the now quiet warp room.

("This mission is set in the World Tree, Yggdrasil. The initial village is called Zephirum, a village created to help the first visitors adapt to Yggdrasil.")

"...A tutorial village, huh."

Armonia continued her explanation.

("The World Tree is divided into the Upper and Lower Layers. The area you will be progressing through is the Upper Layer, while the Zodiac is handling the Lower Layer.")

("It's been about a year since Yggdrasil performed the summoning ritual, but the Temple has not yet deployed the protagonist. The reason is unknown.")

("However, according to information from the Zodiac, the Temple is showing signs of preparing to deploy the protagonist. The source is unclear, but the Zodiac is confident in this information.")

("Those who reach the end of the Upper and Lower Layers of Yggdrasil will be granted the authority to rule their respective regions for 100 years, along with one wish.")

I listened to the briefing quietly, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I asked.

"Wow! A wish? If it grants anything, I could get 300 million Enel and be done with it, right?"

("That's impossible.")

"Why?"

("The wish is only valid within the planet where the World Tree is rooted. Yggdrasil is merely a product of the Enel that the God has sown. Wishes are only granted within certain limits.")

"Ah..."

Great expectations lead to great disappointment.

I was planning to get the Enel and have direct sex with Armonia right away...

("An important fact is that there is a treaty between the Zodiac and the Temple.")

"A treaty?"

(A treaty not to interfere with each other's formations.)

The treaty proposed that they each handle the Upper and Lower Layers of Yggdrasil separately and not interfere with each other's progress directly.

The mission site, Yggdrasil, is said to have less information and higher risks compared to other worlds.

The treaty was put in place to avoid dangerous situations for the protagonists, who have only one life.

Since the Upper and Lower Layers can be ruled separately, the treaty was a way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

"But! Even though they won't interfere directly, they indirectly asked us to cause trouble, right?"

("That's correct. The Temple, having forgotten our existence, accepted the terms, and fortunately, we found a loophole.")

"But thinking about it, the Temple must have planned to indirectly interfere after completing their own strategy."

They wouldn't have included such a clause without thinking.

The so-called agents of the gods wouldn't be that stupid.

They must have used every trick to quickly dominate the Upper Layer and indirectly hinder the Zodiac's protagonist to dominate the Lower Layer as well.

But why haven't they deployed the protagonist yet...?

The longer they wait, the more they lose.

Something about that part bothered me.

("And before you start your mission in this world, there's an important thing I need to tell you.")

"Huh? What is it?"

("Unlike previous missions, this one has less information and higher risks. If you find yourself in a dangerous situation, I will activate the warp at my discretion.")

Armonia's words, though expressionless, carried weight.

("Even if there's a risk of our identity being exposed to the Temple, I will warp you out.")

"...Okay, do that."

("Thank you for understanding.")

Of course, I don't want to die.

It's better to be exposed and survive than to die unnoticed.

("This time, I will explain a system that will help you break through the layers: occupation, blessing, and sponsorship.")

I understand the occupation part, but I have no idea what blessing and sponsorship are.

Armonia will explain everything, I'm sure.

("Yggdrasil will perform a summoning ritual in Zephirum and summon chosen beings from across the universe to the central Colosseum of Zephirum village.")

("After a basic explanation, the summoned beings will leave the Colosseum, and their personal spaces will activate, allowing them to check and modify their basic abilities.")

Personal spaces are invisible to the outside world, she explained.

And as soon as they enter their personal space, they will start with important choices like selecting an occupation.

("First, according to advice from the Zodiac, it's best to choose a recommended occupation in your personal space.")

Not everyone can choose every occupation.

For example, a person with no magical talent won't see the Mage occupation on the list.

The system will recognize your talents and recommend suitable occupations in order of recommendation.

("Most of the surviving characters around the Zodiac protagonist chose recommended occupations. It seems to be advice to help with survival.")

"...And surviving means the occupation was highly useful. Okay."

("Second, Yggdrasil's blessing. After choosing an occupation, you will receive a piece of paper.")

("On this paper, you can write a unique passive ability of your choice.")

"Wow, isn't that just a ridiculous scam?"

A passive ability that comes true just by writing it down?

It's a balance issue I can't understand.

-Can't die-? That kind of impossible thing is possible?

To my confusion, Armonia explained the details of the blessing.

("As you said, it's a scam, but there are conditions. To register a blessing, you need points that match the blessing.")

When you first arrive in Zephirum village, you receive points.

Points are a universal currency in Yggdrasil, used to enhance abilities or buy items.

The key point is that if you write a blessing on the paper but don't have the required points, you can't register it.

For example, if you write 'Those who meet my eyes become my servants' on the paper, Yggdrasil will demand an astronomical number of points.

This raises a question.

If you don't write a blessing and save points, could it work?

But there's a safety mechanism in place.

You can only write a blessing before breaking through the third floor.

If you don't write a blessing by the third floor, you'll be at a disadvantage without a blessing.

"Then, how many points are given initially?"

("1000 points. But this can vary.")

"Huh? Isn't everyone starting on the same level?"

("To explain that, I need to explain sponsorship first.")

Third, sponsorship.

("The place you are going is where the War of the Gods took place.")

Not the 'real' gods that Armonia and I know.

It refers to beings who were as powerful as gods to the inhabitants of that world.

They constantly fought, and in the end, a war of twilight erupted, where all the gods killed each other.

Ultimately, all the gods died and their souls were enshrined inside Yggdrasil.

That's the basic story.

The gods, who now live a boring life inside Yggdrasil, asked Yggdrasil to summon beings from across the universe and enjoy watching them as a form of entertainment.

("If the gods like what they see in your daily life, they will sponsor you with points.")

("Some gods sponsor points based on a good first impression.")

("Those who receive initial sponsorship can write better blessings than others.")

"So, that means... if you're good-looking, you get more points?"

("...According to the Zodiac, that's correct.")

Dirty appearance-based discrimination...

("But they don't sponsor massive points initially. It won't be enough to get a scam-level blessing.")

"True, there are plenty of good-looking people. It'll be a level of deprivation that makes you feel a bit envious."

("But you are different.")

"Huh? Why?"

("You can convert Enel into points and write a blessing that is incomparably greater than others.")

"Enel is the best..."

The real currency of the gods, Enel.

There's nothing Enel can't do.

A presence that can't be compared to points.

"What's the ratio?"

("1:10. 1 Enel can be exchanged for 10 points.")

While others start with a thousand points, I could start with tens of thousands.

That means...

"Wow... How much will the Temple kids use? I'm really worried."

The Temple, with its massive Enel...

How much will they use for their blessings?

("That's my biggest concern too.")

("So far, this is a summary of the information I have. I'll provide more details as we progress.")

"Okay! Got it."

("Then, I wish you good luck.")

With Armonia's final words, the warp activated.

...

...

When I opened my eyes, I saw many people around me, and the noise was deafening.

The suddenly summoned people were shouting, asking where they were.

I pretended to be flustered, thinking it would be suspicious if I seemed too calm.

'Oh, they're all humans? No other races?'

[Considering it's the first summoning, it seems each race is summoned to different places.]

'Makes sense...'

I understood immediately.

If orcs and goblins were summoned together, it would be impossible to start.

It would turn into a real Colosseum battle from the beginning.

While everyone was in chaos, a being appeared in the center of the Colosseum with a beam of light.

"Hello, everyone! Welcome to Yggdrasil!"

It was a fairy.

'Wait, what the hell!'

[...? Why are you reacting like that, Guardian?]

'Fairy, what the hell, fairy!!!!!!'

[???]

Armonia didn't understand my reaction at all.

A storm of emotions began to rage in my previously calm heart.

When I think of fairies...

'What the hell, they start by blowing people's heads off to establish dominance!!'

[That doesn't happen.]

'Huh?'

[According to the Zodiac, that doesn't happen.]

The fairies appearing here are GMs to help the suddenly summoned visitors.

'That's the same...'

Fortunately, the Zodiac's information didn't mention fairies blowing people's heads off.

If it were important, they would have told me beforehand...

'Sigh...'

[It's not logical for fairies to blow people's heads off.]

Well, logically, that's true...

I scratched my head, feeling embarrassed.

'That's a common trope in web games...'

[This is not a game. Even if it's similar to a game, this is different...]

Armonia was trying to snap me out of my game-addict mindset when a large man approached the smiling fairy, shouting in anger.

"You, what are you doing! Send me back to my original world!!!"

"Haha, calm down and listen to me..."

The fairy tried to calm the man with a calm smile, but the man wouldn't listen.

"Shut up and send me back to my original world."

"Damn, this is annoying..."

The fairy frowned and pointed at the man.

Bang!

The man's head exploded.

"AAAAHHH!"

"Shit, my head exploded!!"

And the Colosseum turned into a chaotic scene.

Armonia was silent for a moment, then spoke cautiously.

And that's how I arrived in the most dangerous world I've ever seen.