"So… why did you lie about being the 'Former' Sin of Greed?"
He looked at me with his dark, fiery eyes. His expression… well, it was just a simple skeleton, so there was nothing I could make out of it at this moment.
"Whatever do you mean by that?" He asked me with a slight change in the tone of his voice. He seemed to be analyzing me, or perhaps trying to figure out something?
"Sigh… A demon succeeds in taking over the body after killing the owner. Though that is not all there is to it, isn't it? One of them has to be consumed by another to become a perfect sin, and challenge the Ancient Gods. An imperfect sin can never be a perfect one. That is pretty much carved in stone," I explained as I analyzed his face and behavior. Yet, the change in his eyes was minimal.
"You are still trying to get out of here and take back what's yours, aren't you?" I asked, as I yawned a little. Talking so much isn't really my kind of thing. I prefer staying silent more.
"You seem to know quite a lot about the sins? Are you perhaps a Sin Hunter?" He asked carefully, with the grip on the key tightening a bit. I guess I understand why he would think of it like that.
"You think I am strong enough to be one?" I smiled at him.
"..."
There was a strange tension in the atmosphere. He was too cautious of me, and I was a little too calm in his presence despite everything against my odds. Quiet the situation, eh?
"Well. Since you are so cautious, I will get to the point. Make a deal with me," I said to him, making him narrow his hollow eyes. I could sense the discomfort he was feeling right now.
'Could he be skeptical of me because I let my friends die this easily?' I wondered a little.
"What kind of deal?" he asked.
"I will help you get out of here. In return, help me destroy this ghost world," I answered.
"??" He looked at me for a few seconds before asking," why do you want to destroy it?"
"That is something I cannot tell," I looked at the surrounding area, wondering where should I start with? Since I have 10 days, let's-
"Apologies, but I don't think I can trust you enough," I heard Gray's eerie voice from behind as I began turning around. Though before I could even take a step…
[You Have Died!]
[Restarting from the last Save Point!]
[Loading Save Point]
[Loading Complete!]
I woke up in the room again, the scented wooden smell entered my nose again. I sighed as I hugged the thin comfy blanket once again, holding it closer I got in a comfortable position. While I couldn't sleep, I started thinking with my eyes closed.
'Let's start with the basics. Evelyn and Oriel are in danger while Gray is trapped. If Oriel and Evelyn see Gray, they try to kill him. If they die, Gray stops trusting me. If I take the side of Evelyn, I would die fighting Gray. If I take the side of Gray, I would die by Gray's hand again.'
"How do you even get out of a situation like that?"
I groaned in slight irritation as I hugged the blanket tighter. Still keeping my eyes closed, I thought of a bunch of ideas that I could put into action. Like I could put Evelyn and Oriel into sleep or something? Or perhaps go as 'Phantom,' like before…
"Alepsia," I muttered silently, wondering if the Goddess would respond to me.
'Hehe… I must be delusional,' I smiled as I opened my eyes…
"..."
For a second, I thought I was dreaming. Hence, I rubbed my eyes properly before looking in front of me…
">.>"
Immediately getting up from the bed, I stood as I looked at her with a dumbfounded expression.
"What are you doing here?!!" I shouted as I looked at her. Unlike my previous meetings, she was in her adult form right now… her curves… gulp… they were really proportionate. And what's with that tight dress? Was she trying to seduce me or something?
"Aren't you the one who called for me?" She asked in an irritated tone as she looked at me. She was currently sitting on the chair at a distance from the bed. In her hand was a golden apple that didn't seem normal by any means.
"Want some?" She asked as she looked at me with a smile that didn't seem like a smile.
"No thanks… I don't want to die this early," I said, recovering myself as I looked at her. Even though that apple was one of the most potent fruits that could increase all stats permanently by 25, you can only eat it once you cross level 300 or something.
'Eating it before that is no better than a death wish,' I wiped my sweat as I looked at her silent smile, making me wonder why she was even here? Just because I took her name? That's even more ridiculous.
"As you wish. So tell me. What did you call me out for? You looked especially troubled, so I thought of giving you a hand. Consider that as a part of the payment in advance," she stated her point, making me wonder if I really looked desperate.
"Since it has come to that… Alepsia. Do you know about the Ghost World?" I asked her. Obviously she knows about it, she is a Goddess. But what I was getting at was if she knew about the principle of Ghost World.
"I do. It's a separate dimension created for the purpose of trials that a mortal goes before receiving a favor from the Universe," she said, making me look at her blankly.
"Excuse me, what?" I asked stupefied as I observed her, leaning closer to hear her words more properly this time. Because this was something that I have heard for the very first time in my two lives that I have been living in this world.