Thud—
Cao Ye flopped face-first onto the bed.
Thirty pulls in total… and only one real reward.
His luck was truly terrible.
At least the last pull gave him [Magecraft Attribute: Imaginary Numbers], so it wasn't a complete loss.
Still, when he thought about it carefully…
Those 300 diamonds represented 30 days of daily quests.
A full month of grinding.
And all he got in exchange was a single attribute.
It suddenly felt a bit painful.
After integrating the Imaginary Attribute, Cao Ye could faintly sense something strange around him.
But he couldn't detect any Imaginary Space.
Then he suddenly remembered something important.
This wasn't the Fate world.
There might not even be such a thing as Imaginary Space here.
(Each world has its own rules.)
That realization hit him hard.
If there was no Imaginary Space…
Then wasn't his Imaginary attribute useless?
The world systems were completely different.
Power structures, rules—everything.
"AHHH! MY DIAMONDS!!!"
His miserable scream echoed through the luxurious room.
In the room next door, Freya sat gracefully upon her elegant chair.
Before her stood a massive floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the entirety of Orario.
At the very top of Babel Tower, the construction materials were the best available.
Soundproofing was naturally excellent.
Even though Cao Ye was screaming in despair next door, not a single sound reached her room.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in."
Freya took a sip of wine and spoke calmly like a queen.
The door opened.
Ottar entered.
"Everything arranged?" Freya asked.
"Yes."
Their conversation was short, but it revealed the absolute trust between master and servant.
Ottar had offered everything to Freya—
his loyalty, faith, ideals, even his emotions.
And in return, Freya trusted him completely.
"What do you think of him?" Freya asked with a charming smile.
"I cannot see through him," Ottar replied calmly.
"He is weak right now… but there is a power within him that even makes me feel uneasy."
"Earlier, when it briefly erupted, I felt a trace of threat."
Freya glanced at him with interest.
"Even you felt threatened?"
"That's quite impressive."
She knew exactly what that power was.
All the Evil of This World.
Just the name alone was enough to leave a deep impression.
As a goddess, she understood better than anyone what "evil" truly meant.
Yet this fragile human carried such an enormous burden of evil.
And strangely…
It seemed to have no visible effect on him.
"Lady Freya," Ottar asked,
"what do you intend to do with him?"
"Nothing."
Freya smiled.
"Ottar, there is no need to deliberately protect him."
"A hero cannot grow inside a greenhouse."
"The achievements that belong to him… I will personally witness them with my own eyes."
"I understand."
For Ottar, Freya's words were absolute.
Whatever she commanded, he would carry it out without hesitation.
In a way, members of Freya Familia were raised in an extremely harsh environment.
But with Cao Ye…
Freya chose a different approach.
Free-range.
No restrictions.
No direct help.
She simply released him into the world to see whether he could truly grow into a hero.
After all, someone carrying such overwhelming evil could never remain an ordinary person.
Meanwhile, in another part of Orario…
Twilight Manor, the headquarters of Loki Familia.
The other Familia known as one of Orario's Two Kings, rivaling Freya Familia.
In the past, together with Freya Familia, they had forced the declining Zeus Familia and Hera Familia out of Orario, taking the throne themselves.
"What did you say?!"
Loki's face was full of shock.
"Freya… that woman… picked up and started supporting a man on the street?!"
It was hard for her to believe.
That was Freya, the Goddess of Beauty.
Even gods would line up for her attention.
As for mortals—one glance from her was enough to capture them completely.
The strength of Freya Familia largely came from Freya's overwhelming charm.
Members pushed themselves beyond their limits just to gain her praise.
And now…
That same goddess was supporting a random man?
"It's true," said Finn, captain of Loki Familia.
"Many people saw it happen on the street."
But Finn himself looked thoughtful.
As captain, he wasn't foolish.
In fact, he was extremely perceptive.
Why would Freya need to "support" someone?
She could obtain any man she wanted.
That meant the man she chose must be special.
"Could it be," Loki muttered,
"that woman found another promising talent?"
Even though the gods had sealed their divine powers in the mortal world, they still retained some unique abilities.
For example:
Takemikazuchi still possessed incredible martial skill despite his sealed divinity.Hephaestus could forge weapons beyond mortal craftsmanship.Soma brewed divine wine that enslaved anyone who drank it.
And Freya possessed something unique as well—
Her eyes that could see souls.
The brighter and more dazzling a soul was, the greater its potential.
Combined with her beauty and charisma, it was no surprise she built such a powerful Familia.
Now that Freya had suddenly taken a man from the street…
Loki's suspicion seemed perfectly reasonable.
"According to reports," Finn added,
"Ottar knocked him unconscious and carried him away personally."
That statement only strengthened Loki's theory.
"Damn it," Loki groaned.
"She found another promising talent again."
"And if she made a move right there on the street, that kid must be something special."
As Freya's long-time rival—and occasional ally—Loki knew quite a lot about her methods.
Freya often used various tactics to recruit promising individuals.
Even if those people already belonged to other Familias.
And sometimes…
Loki herself had helped with those operations.
After all—
Freya paid very well.