He felt something off?
Was there a reason for him to to feel that?
The moment he questioned it, the feeling of “I shouldn’t go to the chapel” turned into unease, then vanished like a lie. His mind blanked briefly. He was confused. What was that? Yuda slowly scanned his surroundings. Weirdly, no one’s gaze landed around the chapel area, and no one was there, like an invisible wall kept everyone oblivious.
That wasn’t the only strange thing. There were clear signs it hadn’t been cleaned. Past a certain point, almost like beyond an invisible barrier, there wasn’t even a trace of moisture.
Sniff.
As he sniffed without thinking, a faint perfume-like scent hit him. Come to think of it, it was the floral smell from when he first entered the temple. He just thought it felt nice and ignored it, but something was off.
The closer he walked toward the chapel, the stronger the scent became. It got to the point where his head started to spin slightly, and his brow furrowed on its own. Something was there. As a test, he stepped back a few paces. The scent faded again.
‘Could it be… magic?’
But this was a temple. They might use blessings, sure, but not something like magic. More than anything, there was no way the temple priests wouldn’t notice the presence of magic. That only left one possibility, an event. Yuda slowly drifted into thought. He called up his 〈Log〉 and started checking through the events he had noted down from the moment he first arrived in this world.
‘Nothing’s there?’
His memory wasn’t wrong.
Yophiel temple played no real role in the scenario.
It just had a few functions to support the gameplay, and that was it.
It sold potions that were expensive and scarce, but highly effective.
It was a respawn point, granting blessings to restart after death.
Also, when you donated enough, raised favorability or trust level with certain NPCs, you could recruit a priest companion.
Later, a sub-event let you marry an NPC with high favorability.
“However, all of this took place during public hours, and there was never an event that caused the chapel to close. At that moment, he saw a priest sweeping dust with a broom not too far away. He decided to approach him and ask.
“Hello, priest?”
When he greeted him warmly, the priest straightened his back and smiled at Yuda.
“Oh, isn’t it Brother Yuda? Here for prayers, I see?”
“Yeah. But the chapel door’s closed. Did it shut early today?”
At the sound that the door was closed, the priest looked toward the corridor leading to the chapel in surprise. Then, with a wry smile, he placed his hand on Yuda’s head and ruffled his hair.
No playing around here. The door’s open, and plenty of brothers and sisters are coming and going.
At the priest’s words, Yuda turned around. The “open” door was shut, and the “coming and going” brothers and sisters were nowhere. Unlike usual, the hall was empty, the main door closed. What the priest saw and what he saw seemed different.
“And as you know, our temple keeps the chapel open 24 hours. It’s never closed unless it’s a special day. Oh, but just ‘cause the chapel’s open doesn’t mean the temple doors are 24/7—don’t come by late at night ‘cause you can’t sleep, okay?”
Chuckling softly, the priest resumed sweeping. Yuda thought about asking others, but figured they’d say the same. With no choice, he bowed to the priest and returned to the hall.
‘Guess I’ve gotta go in and see myself.’
Magical beasts wouldn’t burst out of peace-loving Yophiel’s temple, and opening the door didn’t seem like it’d threaten his life. Half curious, half tense, he walked down the hall and grabbed the closed main door’s handle. A memory flashed through his mind in an instant. Something felt off.
Click.
He turned the handle, but the main door was locked. Almost five years here, and he had never seen the chapel’s main door locked. A side door sat about 5 meters away. He walked over, grabbed its handle, and turned, nothing stopping.
Right as he went to open it, he stopped.
‘Huh? Wait.’
Wasn’t there another thing that happened at the temple?
‘…Definitely.. Why did I forget this?’
Starting〈Fernlern’s Twenty-Four Hearts〉 gave a background explanation, then showed the chapel as the game began. Since it had nothing to do with him, he had completely forgotten.
He finished turning the handle and opened the door. Seemed like it was well-maintained, it opened smoothly silent, unlike the main door, almost welcoming. As he stepped in, it closed on its own. As always, the chapel felt solemn.
Candles in ornate wall sconces burned bright in the empty chapel, while huge stained-glass windows caught moonlight, lighting the room. In that glow, a massive pipe organ loomed grandly.
But all that was nothing next to the goddess statue ahead. The chapel felt holy because of it. Candles alone couldn’t light this huge space, so magic lamps hung from the ceiling, their soft glow brightening the room somewhat.
[You’ve seen the intricately crafted goddess statue of 〈Second Holy King – Yophiel〉, where countless offer morning prayers for peace.]
[You have felt a warm energy from the statue. This energy calms your mind and brings luck.]
[For one week, your growth speed increases rapidly, and fatigue recovery rises.]
Seeing the statue, the usual text popped up, and the buff activated. Nothing else. Maybe he had guessed wrong. The chapel was rather quiet.
“Seems like no one’s here.”
Oh, someone was there. Entering from the side, chairs had blocked his view. A boy knelt a bit ahead of the statue. That familiar back, Yuda quickly realized it was Kain. And before he could think—
—Light descended.
Blinding, radiant, holy light fell over the statue. He shielded his eyes with his arm, but it didn’t fade even after a while. Adjusting to the glare, he lowered his arm. The light stayed, standing like a pillar.
Seeing it, Yuda felt his heart leap on its own.
Staring at it, faith he didn’t have seemed to well up inside.
A ticklish feeling in his heart felt good. Tears welled in Yuda’s eyes. If a real god existed, wouldn’t they use light like this as a halo?*
「Kain Sabnak.」
A beautiful, enchanting voice rang through the chapel. In the descending light, an angel with three spread wings appeared faintly. The intense glow showed only a shadow, but she felt beautiful and warm.
「No, I’m not Yophiel.」
Kain must’ve asked, ‘cause the angel answered. The blinding light softened, revealing her—gold crown of a high angel, three pairs of wings, green hair. Yuda knew who she was.
‘Gabriel.’
Speechless, Yuda marveled at his first sight of an angel in this world.
It seemed the angel was unaware of Yuda, she spoke only to Kain.
「Though I have reluctantly appeared in the temple of Yophiel, I am the third Holy King, Gabriel.」
「It’s fine. I came ‘cause I’ve got a request for you.」
「No, it’s something only you can do. I came ‘cause I believe in you.」
「Good, I’m glad to hear that. You’re brave, as expected.」
「Very well. From now, you’re chosen by me, the Third Holy King Gabriel, and granted the ‘Sword’ qualification. As ‘Gabriel’s Sword,’ I hope you’ll bear the responsibility and spread justice rightly.」
「Your task ahead is to retrieve all of Fernlern’s fragments, the root of this world’s conflicts. It’ll be tough, and unexpected trials may come. But don’t worry.」
「Because I’ll always be by your side.」
With those words, light from the sky gathered in her hand, forming an orb. It drifted down slow, and Kain, kneeling, held out both hands respectfully. The moment it touched his palms, it sank into him. Yuda quickly checked Kain’s status window.
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Kain Sabnak]
[Title: The Chosen One]
[Real Name: Apostle of Light]
[Level: 1]
[Class: Gabriel’s Sword (Hidden_S)]
[Race: Half-Human, Half-Divine]
[Strength: 30(D) / Potential SS]
[Stamina: 25(D) / Potential S]
[Agility: 35(D) / Potential S]
[Mana: 30(D) / Potential A]
[Mana Resistance: 25(D) / Potential B]
[Knowledge: 10(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 55(C) / Potential A] ◀ Special
[Holy Power: 50(C) / Potential SS] ◀ Special
[Favorability: 0 (Normal)]
[Trust: 72 (Trust)]
「Traits 4/6」
[Gabriel’s Sword] – Rank: S
[Half-Human, Half-Divine] – Rank: A
[The Chosen One] – Rank: A
[Behavior That Inspires Goodwill] – Rank: B
「Skills 2/6」
[Swordsmanship of Light] – Rank: S
[Mercenary Martial Arts] – Rank: A
──────────────────────────────
Insane.
Yuda gaped at Kain’s updated stats. His race went from human to half-divine, and he’d gained a title and real name. Those didn’t matter much, but the stats were nuts.
All potentials jumped up a rank.
Even strength, previously S-rank, climbed another step to SS.
And a memory, forgotten after five years adapting here, came back.
He recalled muttering while making the game, “A player needs this much to enjoy it easily!” as he set the options.
Oh god.
If he had known he would end up in the game and become Yuda, he wouldn’t have set such crazy stats. Then, thud—Kain collapsed forward, possibly from the aftereffect of absorbing the orb. At the same time, Gabriel disappeared from the statue’s front. The light pillar remained, but she was gone.
Where did she go?
About to look around, he felt a presence above and slowly looked up.
“!”
The angel with three spread wings, Gabriel, gazed down. He hadn’t even noticed her move. She descended slowly from midair. Yuda flinched back, trying to check her status window.
──────────────────────────────
「Status Window」
[Name: Gabriel]
[Title: Third Holy King]
[Real Name: Guardian of the Left Throne]
[Level: 100]
[Class: Holy King (SSS)]
[Race: Angel]
[Unknown]
[Unknown]
[Unknown]
[Unknown]
[…]
──────────────────────────────
Nothing came up. Most of her info showed as ‘Unknown,’ like it was locked. Coming closer, she narrowed her eyes, peering into his, and muttered audibly.
“Strange. There was clearly no one here.”
The moment she spoke, a floral scent hit.
‘This scent…?’
Lily—lily scent. The same one from entering the temple. Had she kept priests and people away from the chapel? Mystery was solved. But that didn’t matter now. What mattered was Gabriel standing right in front of him.
Folding her wings, she knelt to his eye level. The scent grew stronger. Their eyes met, hers sad somehow. She reached out and stroked Yuda’s head.
It was warm, like Tia’s touch. His wariness faded naturally, surprisingly so. Did he need to be on guard? She was an archangel, a Holy King, a symbol of good. In the game, she had cared for Kain more than anyone, always helping him in times of danger.
“I sense a special power. No, not special—familiar. Like I’ve felt it somewhere… where was it?”
“Ah.”
“Won’t you tell me your name?”
Just as he was about to say his name, the lily scent hit him again, strong and dizzying. Something was wrong. His mind fogged, his vision blurred. Gritting his teeth, he shut his eyes tight and shook his head—clarity snapped back.
“…”
The guard that had disappeared earlier surged back violently, as if it had been suppressed by force. As he looked at her, he summoned the system window. A message that usually stayed hidden behind his vision popped up: “[Status Effect: Resisted ‘Dense Lily Scent’].” With his current mana resistance, it would be impossible to resist her magic. However, if it was related to the mind, an automatic resistance due to the system’s corrections might kick in. As he noticed her tilting her head in confusion, another wave of floral fragrance rushed into his nostrils. He quickly covered his nose with his sleeve, retreating even further. Thud, the door behind him slammed shut.
“What are you doing?”
Gabriel didn’t answer, staring blankly at the hand that had stroked his head. Why didn’t her power work? The lily scent should hypnotize anyone, forcing true answers to her questions.
But it didn’t work. Gabriel knew well that such effects wouldn’t work on those with power at the level of a general, but this black-haired boy was just a child. If there was anything noteworthy about him, it was likely the dark aura he gave off, possibly because of his hair and clothes. There was nothing else particularly special. Gabriel slowly took in Yuda’s appearance, his gaze lingering. For a brief moment, an image flashed through his mind.
“Like I’ve seen him somewhere…”
She dug through her memory. A sharp pang hit, and she winced from the sudden headache.
“Hm. Yes. Definitely… Yuda, Yuda Arshe. That’s the name, right?”
“!”
“Your reaction says I’m right. Guess my memory’s still good. Hm—yes, Yuda. It was you. The one struggling to the end.”
He didn’t get what she meant.
“First time seeing you this young. Cuter than I thought, though.”
Nodding like she’d recalled, Gabriel rose from her knee, set to match his height. Her sad eyes turned puzzled.
“But I just can’t understand. Why are you here? If my memory serves me right, you’ve never been here before. Did I unknowingly shift something?”
What was she saying? Yuda couldn’t follow. Somehow, she spoke like they’d met before. She might know his name, but… it was just confusing.
Gabriel was confused too, but unlike him, she sorted it quick. A smile, mismatched with her sad eyes, flickered.
“I suppose this works out. There were times I wished you weren’t here at all. But now, let me take your soul myself. If this turns out to be the wrong path, I’ll turn back, just like I always have.”
Gabriel pointed at Yuda with her index finger. A menacing power gathered at its slender tip. Unlike its warm glow, it could easily snuff out a child’s life. He had to dodge. If he didn’t, he would die.
Cold sweat dripped. If he died, he would reset to that day. No saves. All his efforts would be gone. His eyes widened, heart pounding wild
He tried to move, but his body wouldn’t budge. Like something invisible bound him. Activating his magic sight and looking down, transparent plant-like tendrils wrapped around him.
The lily scent seeped in again. The thick fragrance fogged his mind. At the same time, light shot from Gabriel’s hand. Seeing it flash toward him in a cross shape, Yuda clenched his teeth. Despair, helplessness, and rage surged, but he could do nothing.
Such a ridiculous death!
Right then, a whisper-like voice brushed his ear.
“Troublesome.”
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
***Author’s Note***
Okay, cutting it here.
I thought about trimming it or splitting it in two, but that felt off. I wanted to hook your curiosity right here, so I couldn’t drop this spot. Heh.
No choice. Gotta post it long like this.
I’m reading all the comments by the way.
Thanks for bothering to say “enjoyed it” even once.
It makes me happy^^
Thanks to Ulpius, Miririn, BanaBanana, ssaaddllyy, SteelSoul, and tons more who tossed coupons my way. I’m always grateful, but unlike sponsor coupons, I can’t tell who sent manuscript ones unless you comment, so I can’t list everyone. I can’t always greet you, but remember that I’m always thankful! Have a good day.
(To coupon givers Raha000, HighMax, JoyfulChild, Patch, whhwhshd~ Thanks too!)
