Earlier on the mountain, I realized that Willi was not lying about one thing.
That is, about him being the Hero's younger sibling.
But that doesn't mean that just because he wasn't lying about that, everything else is true. Besides, no matter how you look at it, they don't resemble each other at all.
I mean, the only thing they share is their bad qualities.
After finishing my food and cleaning up together:
Sis Nicolle came over to me and called my name.
Of course I went to her immediately.
"What is it, Sis?" I asked.
Sis Nicolle told me to follow her and sit on the sofa in the living room.
She then asked me something.
"Noxy, do you have a Soul Weapon yet?" Nicolle asked in a serious tone.
I had genuinely never heard of such a thing in real life, since I had only ever known about it from fictional stories.
Is this knowledge that exists within Council circles?
That was why I asked Sis Nicolle back.
When I asked, she was genuinely surprised.
"Doesn't the curriculum these days teach that? Good grief, alright, I'll explain it to you." Those were the words she gave me.
She began to explain.
"Hmm... listen carefully, alright?" Sis Nicolle glanced at me.
I nodded quickly.
She continued.
"A Soul Weapon is a weapon given by the gods and goddesses who protect us. It is given with a very high compatibility with us specifically. And especially for higher-level and mid-level Soul Weapons, they can transform into cute animal fairies, as well as companions who will accompany us throughout their lives."
"There are even special cases where a Soul Weapon can become a human with a beautiful appearance."
Sis Nicolle showed a basket full of glimmering flowers.
"By the way, this is the Soul Weapon given by my god." Sis Nicolle turned her face to the side, her cheeks visibly reddening.
"This is very weak, isn't it? Lord Apollo said this weapon suits me, who is weak." She fell into a brief silence.
I looked at her downcast expression, slowly reached for Sis Nicolle's hand, and began trying to encourage her.
"Even if this can't be used for fighting, surviving is also very important when we're in the middle of a battle, isn't it? On top of that, we don't know how long we'll be inside a rift. Your ability could become a lifesaver in minimizing casualties, couldn't it?"
"You're right..." Said Sis Nicolle.
I held her hand more firmly.
"Besides, I'm sure every class is useful. Even if it's the weakest class imaginable, it will definitely come in handy in a specific situation. So, Sis, have confidence!"
Sis Nicolle visibly brightened, even managing a small smile after hearing my words.
She patted both her own cheeks.
"Alright, forget what I just said. I really did show my weak side just now. Oh goodness, I'm so sorry about that."
"Now, go ahead and show me your stat board. It's usually found below the level."
I opened my fake stat screen and showed it to her.
"GOODNESS, THERE'S NOTHING ON IT AT ALL?!" Said Areta, who suddenly appeared right in front of me.
I nearly fell over from the shock. Fortunately, Sis Nicolle managed to catch me.
"ARETA! I'VE TOLD YOU, IF YOU'RE WALKING AROUND THE HOUSE, MAKE SOME NOISE!" Nicolle scolded Areta.
Areta made a silly apologetic expression.
Then, when I turned to the other side, Riel arrived.
"Why is everyone making so much noise?" Riel then walked toward me and looked at my stat panel.
"Haven't you asked your god about it yet?"
I shook my head.
"I'll try right now. But could you tell me how to do it, Sis?"
She moved closer to me and showed me several things.
Riel then asked me:
"Have you ever played an RPG game?"
Honestly, the phone my parents gave me had very limited features, or more accurately, was heavily restricted. I could only access the internet and chat. But... why can I even think of all that? Well, the internet is a very wide space. I just couldn't download things, but other features were still available to me. And since I prefer reading comics, when it comes to games like this...
I've never actually seen one up close. Huh? Um... maybe I have, but I've forgotten? Ah, forget it. Now I can learn. Why wouldn't I use this chance?
I shook my head again.
Riel smiled and told me how to contact my goddess.
"First, go to the gear icon in the upper left. The envelope icon is for Gifts. The chat icon is the Council forum, where there are many jobs you can find. And the person icon is where you ask something of your god."
She then glanced at me.
"Do you understand?"
I nodded quickly, far too eager.
With an amazed expression, I began typing a message to my Goddess.
"Forgive me, Goddess. Please cooperate with me. TUT."
{God/Goddess, could you explain why I haven't received a Soul Weapon?}
Typing...
Anubis (disguised as Nexus)
{It is not yet your time.}
I was a little disappointed with my Goddess's decision.
Nicolle's anger at Areta had subsided, and she came over to me.
"So what did your goddess say?" Nicolle asked.
In a disappointed tone I told her.
"She said I don't need one yet."
Areta then lightly tapped my hand.
"Be patient." She said.
I responded with a forced smile while holding back my tears.
Then, at 9 AM on March 19th, Sis Nicolle and I prepared everything for heading into a rift the next day. For a start, we went to buy the weapon I would be using.
Weapon shops in the city mostly had five-story buildings with gold accents and a western aesthetic.
When you stepped inside, the atmosphere felt like stepping into a different era entirely.
Utterly dazzling.
Neatly dressed staff welcomed us with genuine smiles.
"Welcome to the shop."
My face filled with wonder at the beautiful interior, reminding me of the imperial palace, though this was the smaller version of it.
It was exciting to see all the gleaming weapons and combat equipment displayed on the walls, with prices that I suspected were not going to be pleasant.
I looked at Sis Nicolle with a hesitant face after seeing the prices.
Sis Nicolle smiled when she saw me, as if to say "don't worry about that."
I then assured her that I had enough money to buy one of the good weapons myself, and all Sis Nicolle needed to do was recommend one based on the type I had chosen.
Sis Nicolle was surprised by what I said.
"EH, YOU?!"
I quickly showed her my bank account on my phone.
"Eh?! That's so much..."
Sis Nicolle looked slightly dejected. She probably felt like she had failed as an adult. But what could I do? I also didn't feel right about constantly receiving things without being able to give anything back. After I kept reassuring her, she agreed, though with a gloomy expression.
"So what type of weapon did you choose, Noxy?" She said with some confusion.
I looked at several weapons, but the one that came to mind for a Murderer class was a scythe!
Wouldn't it feel incomplete for a Murderer class to not use a scythe?
I showed my choice to her.
Sis Nicolle asked me in a hesitant tone.
"Are you sure? It's big and heavy, you know."
I gripped the weapon type I had chosen with full conviction.
"I'm certain!"
Sis Nicolle let out a sigh.
"Alright, I'll find you the lightest and strongest one at a reasonable price. Just wait here for now, okay?"
I nodded. After that, she walked around searching every section of the shop while asking each staff member for recommendations.
"Excuse me, do you know of a scythe light enough for a beginner?"
One of the staff members immediately suggested a scythe.
"How about this one, Miss?"
Sis Nicolle then called out to me.
"Noxy, I found it!"
With a feeling of joy, I ran toward her.
"Yes!"
"What do you think, Noxy?"
In a happy tone I answered.
"Yes, this suits me, Sis. Thank you."
She looked genuinely happy watching me.
"Yes yes, no problem at all."
We then went to the cashier.
One of the staff handed a slip of paper.
"This is the bill, sir."
I took out my phone.
"Is payment by QR accepted?"
The staff gave me a QR code, and I scanned it.
"Thank you for your purchase, sir. See you again."
"Thank you as well." Sis Nicolle and I then walked out.
Along the way, Sis Nicolle called my name.
"Noxy."
I turned toward her.
"You seem really happy."
I took a deep breath.
"Of course. This is the first time I've ever bought something this expensive, and this is a weapon I got with my own clean hands."
Nicolle's expression shifted to one of curiosity.
"On your own? Have you held a weapon before?"
My heart pounded hard, signaling that panic was beginning to rise within me.
A faint shadow of the past began to drift through my mind.
A blurry memory formed, showing two small trembling hands holding a knife with blood dripping from the tip.
A muffled voice emerged in my head, sounding like a small child groaning with exhaustion.
"Mother... I'm... done do... ing it... can I... now... come... out?"
Mother's eyes stared sharply from behind iron bars.
"From now on I can no longer call you my child. Balance, you are now a ______."
The memory slowly faded, swallowed by a thick black fog. It felt like I was sinking in an ocean. And afterward, something called out to me and reached out a hand.
"Nox!"
Someone's voice was heard.
"Nox!"
Who... are you?
Something was shaking my body with great force. The shaking pulled me out of that dark memory with a tremendous rush of dizziness.
"Hah?!"
My vision began to return quickly. I saw Sis Nicolle's face very close to mine. She looked extremely panicked.
"Noxy, are you alright?! Regulate your breathing first, okay?"
I held both of her hands that were gripping my shoulders.
"I'm really alright, Sis." I tried to calm her panic.
"Truly?"
I nodded slowly.
"Sorry for worrying you, Sis."
"It's alright. Now go rest at the headquarters, okay? After this, Riel, Areta and I will be making potions. You've already worked hard since morning."
I nodded while smiling to let her know I was fine.
Upon arriving at the headquarters:
With a face that probably looked tired, I sat down in the chair in the living room.
The other party members looked at me.
"Are you alright, Nox?"
Said Riel.
I glanced at Riel with a weary look. After that, Sis Nicolle stepped in to give me some space.
Sis Nicolle then gave me a warm cup of tea while explaining my condition to the others.
Nicolle smiled gently at me.
"Nicolle..."
"Yes?"
"I'll go to my room. You all don't need to worry too much."
I walked up to the second-floor room without looking back.
I lay my body down with a head that felt heavy. My eyes felt heavy too, gradually blurring my vision. Slowly, sleep began to carry me toward a world of dreams.
It seems the others would be busy preparing things they needed to bring, without me. I felt a little guilty about that, but there was nothing else to be done.
The next day was the day I finally entered a dimensional rift for the very first time.
A rift is a trial given by the gods and goddesses to strengthen one's level freely, or so the legend says. But in truth, a rift is a gateway connecting to another dimension that is on the verge of collapse.
Sometimes, creatures from other dimensions already contaminated by fragments of destruction begin to run wild and come to destroy this world.
The fewer fragments of destruction, the weaker the rift. And I was about to face level E fragments for the first time. That shouldn't be too difficult, should it?
"Let's begin!" Said Nicolle to give everyone encouragement.
When I stepped inside the rift, the world within was an expansive meadow under a blue sky with beautiful clouds. A gentle, cool breeze brushed softly against my hair.
My heart raced, cold and quiet. What I thought in that moment was:
"Is this freedom?!"
I, who had lived all this time in a gloomy environment full of bullying, suddenly found myself looking at something this beautiful.
"I can't believe it."
Nicolle chimed in.
"Isn't this beautiful, Nox?"
My eyes immediately fixed sharply on that beautiful blue sky.
"What a shame that a world like this will be destroyed by the fragments of destruction."
Said Nicolle while brushing aside her hair that had been lifted by the breeze.
Nicolle said with great enthusiasm:
"So we have to save this beautiful world! Let's go, hooray!"
Well. It was time to step away from my comfort zone and begin a new adventure, in this new world.
I'm sure what comes next will be wonderful.
To Be Continued
Thank you for reading this novel. Apologies for any mistakes, as the author is still learning to channel all the imagination that has been held in for several years.
Do follow the author's other social media accounts:
Instagram @najwapw2007
Facebook @Nexus Venus
Pixiv @Nexus Venus
Webtoon @Nexus Venus
See you again in the next chapter.