kscans

Chapter 27 - The Goddess and Sadaharu

"Sadaharuuuu!!"

The Goddess returned to the white space, shedding large teardrops.

"Welcome back, Goddess-sama. You were beaten to a pulp, weren't you."

Catching the weeping Goddess as she threw herself at him, Sadaharu gently stroked her head.

"Uuuu. It hurt so much."

"It hurt? Did you take damage, Goddess-sama? I thought you were just controlling Undine..."

"I can't make the dungeon monsters move the way I want unless I properly synchronize my consciousness with them to some extent. The higher the synchronization rate, the better they can move. But if I overdo it, the damage my main body takes when they're attacked also increases."

"I see. So that's why you said before that you wouldn't fully synchronize."

"Right. If a fully synchronized monster is defeated by a dungeon explorer, my own existence would be erased."

"Oh... That would be a problem."

A dark expression flickered across Sadaharu's face for just a moment, but the Goddess, clinging to him, didn't notice.

"But the major techniques you implemented for me were amazing, Sadaharu. I have the power to materialize things that someone imagines, but I could never come up with magic attacks like those on my own. I lost, but it was fun. Maybe I'll raise the synchronization rate a little more the next time I possess a boss character. If it's a stronger boss, I probably won't take any damage either."

"You won't be controlling Undine anymore?"

"Hmm. I think I'm done with her. She couldn't even protect the trophy."

"Understood. I set up the parameters while you were fighting, Goddess-sama, so from now on she will fight autonomously when explorers arrive, just like the other monsters."

"You're always so capable, Sadaharu!"

"By the way, about that trophy. That was a living human, wasn't it?"

"That's right."

"How did you get them to become a trophy? Did you offer to grant a wish in exchange for them becoming a human sacrifice or something?"

"Nope. I just brought them."

"...You mean, you forcibly abducted them?"

"Well, if you put it that way, I guess so. But I'm a god in this world. Gods are allowed to kidnap humans. I learned that from something called Greek mythology!"

"So you used Zeus kidnapping Europa as a reference."

"You know your stuff. As expected of my Sadaharu."

"Well, the kidnapping has already happened, so that can't be helped, but I cannot forgive the rewriting of personalities."

"Ehh, no good? I thought it would make everyone get serious about clearing dungeons. I'm sure there are lots of people who want to control popular figures as they please."

"And you, Goddess-sama, were beaten to a pulp by one of those young men who got serious."

"Ugh. That is... true..."

As she talked with Sadaharu, the Goddess had started to calm down. But now, she remembered the terror of being cornered by Hayate's four-sword style.

"What is with that boy!? Aren't his movements insane? Is he really human? It's a cheat, a cheat!"

"The one using cheats was you, Goddess-sama, implementing three major techniques. The cheat detection system I built didn't react, which means Hayate-kun defeated you by perfectly utilizing the currently implemented items, skills, and systems like the Market."

"Th, then maybe you're taking his side because he's an acquaintance, Sadaharu!? Like raising the drop rate of rare items for him."

"I do not lie about the game's systems. Nor do I give anyone special treatment. The only thing I will never forgive are cheat users."

"Does that include me?"

"Let's make an exception for you, Goddess-sama. You're not on the player side, after all."

"You always end up spoiling me, one way or another. That's why I like you."

"Yes, yes. By the way, I cannot forgive the personality rewriting system, so I've modified it. Please compile."

Sadaharu designed the system in a language the Goddess could understand, and the Goddess then converted (compiled) it to fit the mechanics of this world. This was how they had been imitating FWO's structures and monsters and making them appear in the real world.

"So it's just the personality modification that's no good, the trophy system itself is fine?"

"It depends on the physical and mental state of the people you brought. What's their condition?"

"I've stopped their physical time. Their minds are free, so they can be in a sleep-like state or be awake and think about various things. But it seems humans can have a mental breakdown if they spend too much time like that, so I set it so their perceived time is shortened."

"Your actions are those of an evil god, but that response, at least, is commendable."

Sadaharu gave the Goddess's head a small pat.

"Ehehe. You can praise me more, you know?"

"Please eliminate the personality modification. I'll praise you then."

"Okay! ...Alright, compiled!! It's done, so praise me, praise me!"

"Hold on a moment. Just to confirm, are there dungeons with human trophies all over the world, not just in Japan?"

"Yep. I set a trophy for about every one in 50 million people. There's one more in Japan."

"So, can Japanese people go and clear dungeons overseas?"

"I've made that impossible for now. It's to prevent powerful, developed nations from clearing dungeons in developing countries and monopolizing their resources."

"Why are you acting like a normal god in that one specific area..."

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"No, it's nothing. But even if they were to monopolize resources, they'd need to mobilize a large number of people, right? So I want you to allow foreigners to enter a single dungeon with a party of up to eight people. I'll write the code."

"Okay. When that's done, you'll praise me. And then you'll help me think about the settings for the next boss I possess. I don't want to lose next time!"

"As you wish."

──＊＊＊──

Several hours later, an announcement in the Goddess's voice was broadcast all over the world.

[To those who have defeated a boss of a Grade 2 dungeon or higher, you are granted the right to challenge dungeons outside your country.]

This change in settings became a beacon of hope for countries where dungeon conquests were not progressing as they had hoped.

It had been discovered that explorers could not enter dungeons in foreign countries, so nations all over the world had been unable to request 'his' aid.

But now, that restriction was lifted.

Powerful figures from various countries whose loved ones had been taken as trophies all dispatched envoys to Japan at once. The world's strongest military power, whose president's daughter had become a trophy, sent special forces from its fleet stationed in the Pacific to Japan to forcibly recruit 'him'.

In other words, at that moment, the scramble for 'him' had begun.

Meanwhile, 'he', oblivious to all of this, was taking a walk down a street at night with the girl who had just become his girlfriend.