The Terminally-Ill Rejects the Approach - Chapter 39

It has been exactly one day since the finals of the martial arts competition.

Despite his father taking all the sins upon himself, Orent was not only demoted to the title of a deposed prince, but also further degraded to the status of a criminal.

Originally scheduled to go to a monastery, he was eventually sent to the western tower where prisoners were held.

I must have been quite exhausted from yesterday’s events, as I slept in for a long time.

And with good reason.

While keeping an eye on Orent’s actions, I also had to pour all my energy into devising a strategy to defeat Klaus, who was at a higher level than me.

‘But I didn’t expect to suddenly have to fight the erosion liquid.’

Recalling the moment of battling the erosion liquid made me feel a bit creeped out.

If I hadn’t been trapped in this space together with Klaus, it could have been a big problem.

―Piya was really worried, thinking something was wrong with Lady Lulu!

Since yesterday, Piya has been sticking close to me and not leaving my side for even a moment.

She must have been quite startled when the connection with me was cut off.

“Even when you weren’t there, the system notification windows kept popping up, right?”

―That’s why it’s even more dangerous! The system is fine and the scenario keeps progressing, but you can’t use the player privileges!

“Right. It would have been much better if I could at least use skills or inventory.”

The blue windows starting with [SYSTEM] were notification messages sent by the system itself, not by Piya.

In this way, the system progressed the scenario even when separated from Piya, as long as it was connected to the system.

On the other hand, the various functions of the interface could only be used when connected to Piya.

That’s why Piya emphasized that it’s most dangerous when the system progresses without her presence. Because occasionally, the system gives trials that are difficult to solve without the player’s privileges.

It was when I was nodding my head at Piya’s words.

“Princess, Prince Anselot has come to see you.”

Seira entered with a knock on the door.

“Anselot?”

“Yes, I first showed him to the reception room, but… Oh my! Princess, how can you still be in your sleepwear!”

Seira exclaimed in surprise, belatedly noticing that I was still in my sleepwear.

I had to be quickly led by Seira’s hand to the dressing table to get ready.

“It’s okay to do it roughly.”

“Roughly?! It’s not just anyone, but Prince Anselot who has come. You should look your best.”

She seemed to have greatly misunderstood the relationship between me and Anselot.

“No, really, it’s fine to do it roughly!”

I barely managed to dissuade Seira and after hastily putting on a light dress and shawl, I headed to the reception room where Anselot was waiting.

Seeing me, Anselot, who was sitting elegantly and drinking tea, smiled brightly.

“It would be better to change clothes today.”

“Huh?”

He abruptly told me to change clothes, and then said to Piya who was tightly attached to my shoulder.

“Ah, and bird. You’ll have to help out a bit too.”

Chirp?

.

.

.

And that’s how we ended up in this situation.

Boom boom boom boom boom!

“Wait, Ansel, lot, just, slow down a bit…”

I barely dodged his attack while panting heavily for breath.

The training ground was in chaos with large cracks and pits forming wherever his attacks grazed.

“There’s no such thing as slowing down a bit. Princess, try to dodge a bit faster.”

Anselot attacked me while floating white spheres in the air.

His expressionless face relentlessly raining down brutal attacks was utterly savage.

Chirp! Lit! Chirp! Leet!

―Pai! Ting! Pai! Ting!

Far from helping me, Piya took Anselot’s side and flapped her wings in excitement.

She even created a sub-quest.

[Sub-quest: Dodge Anselot’s attacks!]

Chirp leet! Let’s get stronger by dodging Anselot’s outrageous attacks! ദ്ദി*>ω<*)

▶Rewards upon success: Experience +5000, Piya's aegyo♡

Boom! Bang! Kaboom!

[Quest in progress] (9/50)

[Quest in progress] (10/50)

[Quest in progress] (11/50)

After dodging three consecutive attacks, three quest notification windows popped up in succession.

“W-What the heck is that bizarre quest!”

―While the main quests are given by the omnipotent System, Piya can also create these small sub-quests!

“Why didn’t you say so until now, uwaah!”

Boom!

[Quest in progress] (12/50)

―Lulu, you never asked before!

Piya answered in a coy voice and laughed chirp chirp.

‘Come to think of it, even when Hezen was the player, the system window arbitrarily messed with quests…’

Boom boom boom! Bang! Bang! Kaboom!

However, Anselot’s continuing attacks didn’t give me even a moment to think.

―Put in a bit more effort, Lulu! Piya even split her small and precious salary to buy experience points for you!

I found Piya annoying as she chirped and laughed, saying it wasn’t her job.

―When you complete chapter 1 of the scenario soon, you’ll receive a bonus. I’ll use that to give you better sub-quests!

The moment Piya said that, Anselot’s attack flew at me again.

I felt dazed by the unceasing quest progress notification windows appearing before my eyes.

“It’s okay not to give any quests… Uwaah!”

I barely rolled on the ground to dodge the following attack.

Chirp?

―Aah?

Piya, who had been flapping her wings in excitement, suddenly flinched and started fidgeting uneasily.

Seeing her serious expression, Anselot also stopped his attack.

“Piya? What’s wrong?”

―I-I think Piya made a mistake.

“Huh?”

―Piya will be right back.

[SYSTEM] The system will be temporarily suspended for maintenance.

Piya suspended the system and disappeared with a poof.

Taking advantage of the break in Anselot’s attacks, I plopped down on the ground and exhaled deeply.

Then I looked at Anselot with resentful eyes.

“Do you have to go this far?”

When I asked with a tearful face, Anselot stared at me calmly and answered.

“You almost died.”

‘I was worried about you.’

Suddenly, those moist and dry words he had muttered while tightly gripping my shoulders right after returning from this space yesterday overlapped in my mind.

Anselot approached me and crouched down.

Then he tapped the red pendant hanging around my neck.

“Didn’t you feel anything?”

I finally realized that he had dragged me to the training ground out of the blue because of this pendant.

“What, if it’s because of this, you should have told me beforehand.”

I fiddled with the gem on the pendant and grumbled in a sullen voice.

This red gem, which felt ordinary, was half of the Gwangryong’s heart and at the same time, the key to destroying the system.

“The messenger is listening.”

“If Piya hadn’t disappeared, would you have kept attacking?”

“That’s why I got rid of her.”

“Huh? You’re the one who sent Piya away?”

Instead of answering my question, Anselot smiled faintly.

“Although the degree may vary, the power of god is embedded in all the order of this world. And the Gwangryong’s heart nullifies the power of god.”

“When did you say this pendant was a weapon that could defeat the Gwangryong and eliminate the system? Why suddenly the power of god?”

When I tilted my head in confusion, Anselot made a subtle expression.

“What do you think the system is, Princess?”

“A rule that arbitrarily moves the world? Order?”

As I fumbled for an answer with what came to mind, something suddenly flashed through my head.

‘Huh?’

If the system is the order of this world…

Suddenly, a passage from the scriptures came to mind along with a throb in my chest.

‘Luce, who became the master of the world, established the order of this land, and from then on, people worshipped the god of light, Luce, as their lord.’

It couldn’t be. This was really nonsense.

“Then… is the system… god…?”

“Probably.”

“…!”

My eyes flashed open in an instant.

God.

It was an existence I had never thought about before.

I had often seen priests and holy knights using holy power, but I had never deeply considered the existence of god itself.

It was partly because I had low faith due to my mother’s influence, but more so because I was a person possessed from another dimension.

It was a bit strange for me, who had lived in a different dimension, to have faith in the god of this world.

Luce, the main god known to have established the order of this world.

Until now, I had only thought of him as an abstract existence.

Looking back, even when Cedric, the system administrator, commanded people, he had exploited their faith.

“No way…”

“Why no way?”

“The one I have to fight against is the god who rules this world. That’s too…”

I tried to remain calm, but contrary to my will, my voice came out full of fear.

“That’s too, scary.”

It felt like I had suddenly gained a huge and terrifying enemy.

Sensing my fear, Anselot slightly hardened his eyes.

“This is why I tried not to bring it up.”

“Why did you tell me then?”

He shouldn’t have said anything.

Then I wouldn’t be trembling in fear like this in front of the unknown enemy called the system.

“Because you almost died yesterday.”

“…”

“I thought it wouldn’t be dangerous if I was by your side, but I was wrong.”

Anselot’s expression darkened as he spoke of yesterday’s events.

“Anything that threatens you is part of the system’s order.”

“The system’s order…”

“The erosion phenomenon that occurred in this space yesterday, and the previous attack on you by that guy called the player.”

“…”

In the end, all those things that attacked me were the will of god, the order of the system.

“If you can freely use the power of this pendant, you’ll be able to protect yourself in situations like yesterday.”

“…”

I swallowed hard and asked.

“Aren’t you… afraid…?”

Anselot was a bug.

An enemy of the system, an enemy of the main god, whom the system sought to expel.

“It means you’re hated by god.”

“Not really.”

Anselot lightly replied with a smirk.

“There’s something I fear more than god.”

“…”

I was curious what that was, but somehow I felt like I shouldn’t pry.

So I asked something else instead.

“Then is the power you use also the power of god?”

I remembered how the red gem on the pendant had nullified Anselot’s attack before.

“Well, yes.”

“Then you’re a bug using holy power?”

“You’re also a bug using the power of god.”

Sword energy was also ultimately a blessing from god, so he was right.

From the beginning, my role was ‘the descendant who inherited the power of light in the divine oracle’.

“There’s only one reason I brought this up to you.”

Anselot said as he slowly stood up.

“When a situation like yesterday happens again, and when I can’t protect you by your side.”

“…”

“You need to be able to protect yourself.”

“Yeah. I will.”

I nodded and stood up following him.

Although it was utterly terrifying and frightening that my enemy was the god of this world.

‘Since I’ve already decided to face it, I can’t just keep being afraid.’

I thought as I tightly grasped the Gwangryong’s half-heart hanging around my neck.

Seeing me like that, Anselot curled up the corners of his mouth and said,

“Then shall we try blocking my attack one more time?”

“Eek, we have to do that again… Uwaah!”

Boom boom boom boom!

He rained down attacks without warning.

‘Anselot, that son of a bi*ch!’

I was a fool for thinking I could have a normal conversation with him even for a moment!