Chapter 64: Chapter 64

[Translator - Night][Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 64: Hermes, Loki, Hades (2)

"What? The contract can be canceled too?"

"Yeah. The system recognized it as a valid reason."

"Tsk…"

"Loki cancels it too."

"Well, I'll just make another one."

"Hades, hmm…"

[How many slots are there? If it's really bothering you, we can split it 4:4:4.]

Hades urgently proposed.

4:4:4, huh.

Can I trust these Chaos guys?

No, I can't trust anyone anyway.

I grind my teeth thinking about how Order betrayed me, but I lack the strength to retaliate right now.

That doesn’t mean I can fully trust Neutral or Chaos either, especially after seeing how Loki and Hades operate.

I need to use all three of them.

They're all the type to stab me in the back as soon as I expose any weakness.

"Whether it's an individual misstep or not, the Order faction must offer appropriate compensation."

"Of course! Even if it was an individual's mistake, it's only right for us to take responsibility. We’ll punish Pollux severely! We'll bring you a compensation plan right away."

Hermes saluted me and smiled slyly.

Olympus doesn’t care about brothers or anything.

Since my power is still weak to take revenge on Olympus, I’ll use them to focus on growing stronger for now.

As for the soul mediator slots, I'll auction them off just like last time.

I'll favor whoever offers the best price.

For now, I need to collect useful skills and items to become stronger.

I won’t let my fate be dictated by these gods.

Pollux, that bastard.

Is this your fate?

Nonsense.

I'll grow stronger no matter what.

"Auction time. Bring me good skills and items. I’ll allocate six slots to the best offer. You know the more, the better, right? Second and third place can also take some skills and items; I’ll contract them for three slots each."

"Ugh, why do you like auctions so much?"

Loki grabbed his head in frustration.

"Auction, huh… If our Olympus items are good enough, can you forget past grudges and give us six slots?"

Hermes smiled slyly, as if this was a good opportunity.

Forget what?

Forget nothing, you bastard.

You’ll definitely only get three slots.

[Haha, let’s show them the power of the shop. Six slots, huh. We’ll have to wake up the sleeping Lords of Chaos soon.]

Hades seemed confident.

Right.

There's no good or evil in factions.

Whoever treats me well is good in my book.

Although the Chaos faction's plans to destroy Earth bother me a bit, so they'll start with some minus points.

Still, I can’t completely exclude them.

Order and Neutral were allied to begin with.

Chaos must also take at least one slot.

I can’t trust Order either.

They’ve already betrayed me once.

Their minus points are even bigger than Chaos’s.

I’ll make sure not to give them six slots.

So, only Asgard gets no deductions?

Ah, but considering how Loki backstabbed with Aurelia…

Man, there’s no one trustworthy here.

I’ll decide based on the price they offer.

If nothing stands out, I'll just split it 4:4:4.

"To be honest, we’d love to give you SS or SSS-grade skills, but the problem is that Hunter Kim Jiho is only B-grade."

"Even if they’re godly skills from lower-tier gods, the limit of what you can hold is probably two or three at most."

[If you try to hold more, your body won’t be able to handle it. Well, if you’re curious, I won’t stop you, but I’m just warning you ahead of time so you don’t get hit with penalties.]

So, if they had forced S-grade skills on me without warning, I could’ve died…

Then they’d face penalties?

It might be a lie, but I’ll listen for now.

Ugh, complete distrust of gods has taken root in me.

"Let us know roughly what kind of skills you’re looking for, and we’ll tailor them for you."

"We have gods overseeing all things under heaven. Whatever type of skill you want, you can get it."

[Don’t forget we operate the shop. While we’re not the shop’s owners, we can provide the S-grade skills you desire.]

They all confidently promised to provide the skills I wanted.

Hmm.

The skills I want…

"For now, I need skills to escape without being noticed by you guys. Concealment, escape—things like that."

"What? Avoid our eyes, you say?"

"Do those even exist?"

[Avoiding a god’s sight, huh… Haha, you’re quite ambitious.]

Of course.

Look at this mess.

Even now, I’m stuck in Olympus’s garden, unable to escape.

"I guess it must feel awful to be surrounded by SSS-grade gods like us. As a gesture of reconciliation, I’ll give you a skill for such situations. ‘Acceleration.’"

[Hermes’ Acceleration LV1]

[Skill Grade: A]

[Acceleration skill of Hermes, the messenger god. Temporarily accelerates the body beyond its limits. At skill level 3, spatial movement becomes possible.]

Ohhh.

So this is for running away, huh?

Not bad at all.

It'll be quite useful if I level it up to spatial movement.

Although it’s not S-grade, so I can’t rely on it entirely.

"And here’s a little extra gift from me."

[Penis Control.]

[Skill Grade: C]

[Allows full control over one’s genitalia. Vasectomy seal is possible.]

What the…

And what’s with this penis control?!

This is insane!

"Hey, what is this?!"

Hermes looked at me with a clueless expression.

"Huh? You don’t like it? It’s a skill that all male gods of Olympus naturally have. You can increase the number of penises, adjust their size, add beads, or even twist them into a spiral. It’s only C-grade, but my son, Priapus, used this skill to become rich in SP. Since I’m his father, I can give it to you for free. It’s usually super expensive."

"Ohhh. To get that skill for free… I had to pay a fortune for it in the shop. Hermes, you’re generous. Jiho, want to test it on me?"

Loki smirked at me while pulling his collar to reveal his chest.

Whistle

Next to him, Hermes whistled.

Ah, please, don’t do that with that innocent-looking Aurelia face.

[Hmm, it’s actually quite a useful skill. Priapus is one of the most irreplaceable gods in Olympus because of it.]

Hades chimed in through a magic circle.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Ha, they really are gods.

"Since you’ve received this skill, you no longer need to worry about pregnancy. Live like a playboy, like us gods."

"Right. And if you find someone you like, have kids and make deals with us."

[A child of the Soul God’s successor… That would be intriguing.]

The words of the gods that followed sent chills down my spine.

“You want to trade for a child?”

“Yes. A child of the heir of the Soul God would hold immense value.”

“Give birth to a child, and if it’s useful, you can keep it as an heir. If not, just hand it over to us. We’ll pay you handsomely.”

[Heh heh. That kind of deal is our specialty.]

“What? How can you trade a child?” Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The two gods gave me a strange look.

“Why not?”

“Jeez, what’s so strange about it? It’s incredibly efficient. Should I give birth for you?”

[You’re still far from reaching S-class, huh.]

So, this is how the gods think?

It’s really disorienting.

They genuinely have no feelings for a child.

“Well, if you ever consider it, let me know. I can send some fairies to assist you.”

“I’m good at giving birth. I’ve even delivered a horse before.”

[I have succubi as well. Or would you prefer an arrangement with the Lord of Chaos? There’s someone named Lilith.]

“Ah, enough. Anyway, if S-class skills are restricted, what about items?”

Changing the subject, Hermes grinned and answered.

“S-class items have their own consciousness, so they choose their owners. Whether they’d choose a B-class like you is uncertain.”

“For consumable items, a few might work.”

[If only you were part of the Chaos faction, there would’ve been so many items to offer. A shame, really.]

So even items come with tough conditions.

“Well, let me at least take a look. Honestly, with SSS-class gods like you, S-class should be nothing. And A-class? You can give me plenty of those, right?”

“Well, S-class isn’t exactly ‘nothing,’ but we can prepare as many as needed. As for A-class... you can equip up to six simultaneously.”

“Let’s get ready too.”

[Chaos items tend to corrupt their users with chaos, which is unfortunate. If your rank were higher, you could’ve accessed all three factions. Still, let’s find something good among the A-class items.]

So, no S-class items from the Chaos side, huh.

Guess I’ll have to go for skills instead.

What would be good as a second skill?

Hmm.

I think I’m lacking in defense skills more than offensive ones.

“For the second, let’s go with a defensive skill.”

“Invisibility, escape, and defense... you know how to survive. Very wise.”

“Defense, huh... Alright. I’ll bring something good right away.”

[Heh heh. We’ll prepare thoroughly as well.]

Would a third skill also be possible?

Just in case, I should ask.

“If a third skill is possible, let’s go with either an offensive one or something practical.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Greedy, aren’t you? Alright.”

[Heh heh. We’ll do that. But it might take about a week—how does that sound?]

A week, huh.

“What should I do in the meantime?”

“You should return to Kevrian. It’s not good for a low-ranked human to stay in Olympus for too long.”

Hermes, who dragged me here in the first place, now feigns concern.

“Your guardian deity has been replaced by me, but as a substitute, direct intervention might be difficult. Isn’t that unfortunate?”

“Not at all. That’s great news.”

When Loki winked and spoke, I felt a little reassured.

Though, it might still be a scam.

Ugh.

The more I think about it, the more distrustful I feel toward these gods.

It’s like being plagued by divine mistrust syndrome.

[When you return to Kevrian, we’ll battle again. I have a grand cause I must win for, so I’ll make sure to kill you and send you back to Earth. Heh heh. It’s a shame I can’t imprison you.]

“Can’t we negotiate on that?”

I wondered if I could strike a deal with the enemy to gain free experience points, but Hades firmly refused.

[That’s impossible. Earth must be destroyed as soon as possible.]

So, imprisonment is a no-go, but killing me on Kevrian is allowed?

I mean, I’ll just return to Earth anyway, right?

The system penalties feel pretty vague at times like these.

“Then, in a week, I’ll summon you to a neutral trading ground. Ah, and about the guardian deity issue—would it be alright if I temporarily became your guardian deity? Pollux can’t do it anymore.”

Hermes smiled as he said this.

I could sense the strong stench of a scam.

Even the other two gods objected.

“No way. Don’t let that scammer become your guardian deity. Let someone like Hephaestus handle it.”

[Absolutely not. Hermes as a guardian deity? That’s a disaster waiting to happen!]

“As expected, I knew you two would be noisy. Fine, I’ll make a covenant as a substitute deity. I won’t observe or read your thoughts. Additionally, I’ll increase the stats granted per level by 1 point. This is the best I can do.”

1 point per level?

That’s double the current rate.

It sounds fine, but I still don’t trust him.

“Hmm. It’s still unsettling.”

When I hesitated to agree, Hermes urgently tried to persuade me.

“In that case, I swear by my name as Hermes: without a guardian deity, the efficiency of your Soul Mediator class in the Order faction will greatly decrease. You won’t gain additional stats, your status screen might disappear, and you’ll be forced into neutrality.”

[Heh heh. Then you can join Chaos!]

“All your accumulated skills and abilities from the Order faction will be gone. Jiho, I understand your doubts, but once you reach A-class, you’ll ascend to demigod status and won’t need a guardian deity anymore. I’ll leave on my own at that point.”

Hmm... It’s somewhat convincing, but my trust in the Order faction is already at zero.

Should I abandon Order and join Chaos?

“Hades.”

[Oh. Are you coming to Chaos?]

“Will you absolutely destroy Earth?”

If Chaos is set on destroying Earth, Hades is ultimately my enemy.

If Earth disappears, can I even remain myself?

No, I can’t.

All my efforts to maintain my original form will have been for nothing.

[Yes, it is the duty of Chaos.]

“Why?”

[Heh heh heh. Primarily, it’s personal revenge. Ultimately, it’s tied to the mission of Chaos.]

“Chaos’s mission?”

[To eradicate the cancerous cells distorting the world—that is the grand cause of Chaos. There is no compromise in this regard.]

“I see. That can’t be helped.”

Sigh.

I can’t join the Chaos faction for now.

In the end, they’re the enemy.

Still, I need to keep some connections... to trade and grab some items.

“Are there any additional clauses in Hermes’s terms?”

“Wait. ‘Won’t observe’ and ‘won’t read thoughts’ aren’t enough. Add: no collecting information without permission, no interference, stats increased by 1 point per level, and he holds the right to terminate the contract anytime. These should be the terms.”

Hermes’s smile froze.

He fell silent, glaring at Loki.

Loki laughed, pointing a finger at Hermes.

Wow.

They’re really keeping each other in check.

[Exactly. Saying ‘won’t observe or read thoughts’? You can still gather information through touch and sound. By the way, make the same re-contract terms with Loki. You can’t just let that slide because he’s a substitute deity.]

“Uncle Hades is right. Re-contract with him the same way. Hahaha.”

Hermes forced a laugh while glaring daggers at Loki.

Loki’s expression instantly soured.

Of course, it was all a scam.

Ha.

It’s nice having all three factions keeping each other in check.

Hades is particularly useful.

“Well, you heard them, right? Let’s finalize the contract.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]