Chapter 27

After getting teabagged by Porori, I could finally make a resolution.

First things first, I need to get my language back as quickly as possible. I don’t like it, but let’s start chatting with the gods.

However, to have a direct conversation with the gods, I need to boost my faith as much as possible.

If that’s not an option, I have no choice but to trek to the ‘Temple.’ The problem is that the temple is in another country.

For now, the only method is to go to the church and pray. Or I could offer daily tributes like Porori.

‘But seriously, is my language messed up because of my faith?’

Porori became a spirit after offering tributes for 100 days. Meanwhile, I lost my language.

I’ve been cursing at the sky almost daily, so that’s a pretty reasonable hypothesis.

‘Why does this always reflect reality?’

In the Soul World, faith is similar to magic. Speaking it out loud gives you a buff.

If you input macros, you can even pull off some funny tricks.

For instance, to cast a buff on someone, you have to speak at length.

But as your faith increases, the length of what you say gets shorter, and if you add macros, amazing results can happen.

‘Water. Did they say just this one word would give it all?’

I think there are even some legends about ‘Water’ being combined with other things.

This means that the gods place a lot of importance on language. Thinking this way makes it seem more plausible.

‘Let’s just start talking first.’

By the way, even Porori couldn’t read. He can only speak; he’s illiterate too.

To be fair, the script of this world, especially the common language, is extremely complicated. If the common language is this bad, just imagine the other languages.

I’ve decided to visit the church this weekend, so I can pray then. I have a lot of questions, but I guess I’ll have to go to the temple for those.

‘Or should I just believe in Gulrak too?’

Praying at church goes to the goddess of life, Gaia, while offering tributes like Porori goes to the god of destruction, Gulrak.

The god of chaos, Chaos, has tricky conditions just like the name suggests. If you meet the ‘fun’ criteria, they’ll usually grant you multiple blessings.

‘But that fun is based on their standards, isn’t it?’

It’s better to avoid receiving blessings from Chaos if possible.

Getting involved with him would only skyrocket the difficulty of life and often create troll-like situations.

As I’ve said before, when I need healing, I cast buffs, and when I need buffs, I cast healing spells.

When things get serious, he sometimes takes it seriously, but most of the time, I’ve already gotten stressed and folded.

“··· ···”

Maybe it’s because a million thoughts popped into my head. I can’t seem to fall asleep tonight.

Slowly getting up from bed, I stared out the window. The night sky was sprinkled with countless stars.

It felt bright, probably because of the moonlight. Not to mention, I have good eyesight.

Knock knock—

Just as I was gazing out the window absentmindedly, I heard a tapping sound on the glass, not on my bedroom door.

Focusing a bit more, I noticed a very familiar silhouette.

[Hey. Buddy. I need to talk to you for a sec.]

It was Porori, the one who had tormented me until he left.

Seeing him made my blood boil, but I first wondered why he had come at this hour.

He couldn’t have come to mock me again; there must be some purpose.

Creak—

So I got out of bed and opened the window. As soon as the window creaked open, he scurried inside.

It was 2 a.m., the time when everyone should be sound asleep. Rod was probably so deep in sleep he wouldn’t notice.

Both Porori and I still had a wild streak, making it almost impossible for us to fall into deep slumber. Still, we weren’t tired.

“What the hell?”

I asked Porori why he had come to bug me.

He hopped onto my bed, sitting cross-legged, and said solemnly, “I heard from the lady that you saved my life?”

“··· ···”

It seems he got wind of the whole story. However, I didn’t reply.

It wouldn’t be right to show off, and it wasn’t a fair fight to begin with. If I hadn’t had Eli with me, we both would have been in deep trouble.

I begged to spare Porori’s life, not wanting things to settle that way.

“I won’t say thanks. If that had been the case, I would have cursed you even in death.”

Now that’s more like Porori. I lifted one side of my mouth in a smirk.

He still talks like a jerk. I guess I shouldn’t expect anything from that guy.

“Anyway. What I want to say is······”

Porori, looking a bit awkward, scratched his head with his paws and continued.

“From now on, let me handle your translations.”

“What the hell?”

I raised an eyebrow at the request to handle my translations. What the heck is this all of a sudden?

Porori seemed to anticipate my confusion and began explaining smoothly.

“Translating is only possible when we’re together, right? I heard from the lady that I shouldn’t let anyone find out I’m a spirit.”

“··· ···”

“So while we’re together, I’ll kindly do the translating for you, understand?”

“······hell no.”

That stung my pride. As I mumbled in protest, Porori pointed it out.

“You made misunderstandings again because you couldn’t speak today. Are you going to keep that up? Who knows when you’ll even start talking again.”

“Come on.”

“Like you’ll start talking anytime soon. I heard you cursing at the sky when you were in the forest. I don’t get why you hate the sky so much.”

If you were in my shoes, wouldn’t you curse too?

If I had just started in a city instead of a forest, none of this would happen.

I would have accepted things from the get-go, just focusing on surviving day by day. The reason would’ve come later.

But starting all the way from the forest and even getting humiliated by Porori? Then getting my arm bitten by a wolf?

Could I not curse them? I feel like even reasoning with them would just rage me further.

“You’re good at hunting, why not try praying for 100 days like I did? Then maybe you’ll receive the power of thunder.”

“··· ···”

“What are you looking at, you little rascal? You don’t plan on sacrificing me, do you?”

Got me there. Honestly, there’s no better offering than Porori.

Being a spirit armed with strong combat skills makes him the perfect candidate for a sacrifice.

“Geez. I tried to help you, and you’re so ungrateful. This is why beasts are no good.”

“Come on.”

And he’s a beast himself.

As I retorted, he clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers.

Then, crossing his short arms in an arrogant way, he said something quite interesting.

“Hey. You know, even if you manage to speak, they’ll still treat you like a beast.”

“What the hell?”

“What do you mean? Look at your bright red eyes.”

I started feeling around my eye area. Bright red eyes symbolize a ‘Berserk’ monster.

In fact, I do possess the Berserk trait. If it activates, I lose my reason and go on a rampage.

Fortunately, since I maximized my ‘Tenacity,’ the frequency of Berserk has decreased, although it did come out in my tussle with Porori.

“Even if you learn to speak, the fact that you’re still a beast won’t change. Especially when you go on a rampage, that tendency will only intensify. After you fix your speech, you better find a way to control that annoying temper.”

“What the hell?”

“Why ask me? I’m originally just a squirrel, so what do I know about Berserk?”

Now that I think about it, I’m curious. How did this guy get stronger?

In the game, Porori couldn’t even be made a pet; killing him was the only option.

Even if I found his habitat, I’d only know it’s stuffed full of acorns. I wouldn’t know his past.

“What the hell.”

“How did I get stronger? Well······ I realized I could get strong ever since I killed that huge baby bird. Ever since then, I’ve just been surviving.”

Looking at how he got stronger, it’s quite similar to my case. I almost got killed by a wolf, but I barely survived thanks to my wits.

Perhaps that strength can only be gained through the true survival of the fittest.

Mine is a bit different since it was mostly forced on me, though.

“Anyway, here’s this.”

While I was thinking about this, Porori handed me something. It was a blue-hued herb.

I have no clue where that tiny body could’ve hidden it.

“I’m telling you now, pray to the sky with this. It’s pretty rare. You’ll know it once you smell it.”

“··· ···”

Initially skeptical, I took it as he handed it over. It didn’t seem like he was joking around.

I then sniffed the herb, and an enticing sweet scent wafted up my nostrils.

I couldn’t help but have a slightly surprised expression. This one must be pretty hard to come by.

“Let me say this in advance, it’s not because you saved my life. I’ll be killing you later and probably shitting on your face, so keep that in mind.”

“······hell no.”

Yeah, right. I can already see that coming. I smirked as I examined the herb closely.

It seemed freshly collected; dirt still clung to its roots. I could feel the cold air of the night surrounding it.

This herb is called Blue Forget-Me-Not. Unlike the common Silver Forget-Me-Not that blooms anywhere, this one only blossoms at night.

Its effects are detoxification and magic power enhancement. If grown later and given to Eli, I could create a high-quality potion.

“I offered acorns, but I wonder if this will suffice for you. You know?”

“··· ···”

Yeah, I know.

As I said earlier, offering sacrifices to gain faith is for the god of destruction, Gulrak.

Each time I offer prey or herbs, my faith increases, and if the prey or herbs are strong or rare, the boost is even greater.

The Blue Forget-Me-Not is about a B+ grade, so there’s a high chance it’ll greatly enhance my faith.

‘Should I ask Kara for help?’

The issue is the altar. You need one to offer sacrifices, and only Kara knows how to make it.

In the game, the altar is something you can’t make yourself. You’ll definitely need someone’s help.

‘So that rascal made an altar on his own?’

I stared at Porori intently. Seeing my gaze, he shrugged his shoulders.

“I prayed while looking at the oak storage where I kept the acorns. I put the acorns inside and prayed to the sky, so all the acorns mysteriously disappeared.”

So I just need to put in effort and it doesn’t even matter if there’s an altar, huh? That might be true.

Besides, I’m already pretty much under the god’s spotlight. It’s flattering to say it’s interest, but I’m practically targeted.

‘Well, what can I do?’

If I don’t master language soon, I’ll continue being treated like a wildling. Since Porori’s helping me, I have no plans to refuse.

I inclined my head to thank Porori. He scratched his cheek and mumbled.

“Getting thanks from you feels weird. We’ve only ever fought when we met.”

“Come on.”

“As you said, there won’t be many opportunities to fight anymore. So, I’m outta here.”

With that, Porori dashed out through the open window.

His quick and agile movements were impressive, befitting of a squirrel. Turns out a squirrel is indeed a squirrel.

I closed the window Porori exited from and lay back down on my bed. Staring at the blue forget-me-not he handed me.

‘It’s like giving poison and a remedy at the same time.’

It seems he felt guilty for teasing me harshly earlier.

Had it been in the forest, I would’ve just laughed it off. However, after experiencing civilization, it felt like a ‘conscience’ kicked in.

On the other hand, the reality is I still can’t articulate even a single word. I can’t accept being worse than a squirrel.

‘Right. What’s important is the effort.’

I jumped up from the bed and started preparing the offering.

First thing’s first, tidying up my bed. I spread the blanket and comforter neatly and pushed all the pillows aside.

Then, I placed the Blue Forget-Me-Not right in the center. That’s it for the setup.

‘With me being watched like this, this should be enough.’

It’s been a while since I started actively seeking attention. If I put in the effort, it should surely yield a response.

After finishing the setup, I knelt two steps away from the bed.

With both hands together, I earnestly prayed.

‘What was it again······ Ah. Right. Great destroyer of all things and master of thunder, Gulrak, I offer this tribute and ask for your power.’

I fumbled through my memory, reciting the prayer I had seen in the Soul World.

This prayer was common in Tartar. As I’ve mentioned before, Tartar follows Gulrak.

‘······Wouldn’t it be better to pray a bit more?’

I apologized for all the cursing I had thrown in the direction of the sky. I begged once again for my language to be repaired.

Of course, it’d be difficult to fix my language with just a single offering.

So, I planned to frequently offer prey like Porori and, at the same time, receive Kara’s assistance.

‘Thus, I humbly ask that you heed my prayer.’

As I completed my last prayer, I slowly opened my eyes. I immediately checked the herb on the bed.

As if it was determined to shatter even the slightest hope I had, the herb remained intact.

“What the hell.”

Geez. Damn it. So predictable.

Already being completely targeted, it wasn’t even responding at all.

I had a fair idea it wouldn’t work, but I still felt disappointed.

‘But why isn’t there any message popping up?’

Messages about insulting the god pop up all the time, but for this, why not a peep?

Do I really have to visit the church this weekend? I do have things to do there, but it feels a bit awkward.

Moreover, if I pull that ‘action’ in the church, I’d be 100% banned from entering. This was the case in the game too.

‘Guess I’ll just give this to Rod.’

I picked up the Blue Forget-Me-Not, which was still in pristine condition. Its detoxifying effect would make it perfect for Rod.

Just as I was looking around for a place to store the herb, I spotted Rod peeking through the slightly open door.

He must have been in deep slumber, but somehow woke up. Given his age, maybe he just jolted awake midway.

His round eyes seemed to say he’d witnessed whatever nonsense I was up to. He likely saw the whole debacle over just one herb.

‘Well, this is embarrassing. I feel like shooting myself in the foot.’

Had I known this would happen, I would’ve saved everything for tomorrow.

In the awkward and tense atmosphere, I kept staring at Rod.

Rod, caught off guard by the strange mood, was at a loss for words.

[Faith is increasing!]

But why the heck is that suddenly popping up?

I mumbled in a sense of resignation upon seeing the notification in front of me.

“······what the hell.”

At that one word—

“······was that a curse?”

Rod mumbled with a frown.

Come to think of it, what came out of my mouth wasn’t Korean but the language of this world.

That aside, why the sudden boost in faith? I have no clue why.

“Did you just······ curse?”

First, I need to settle this current situation. Forget talking and focus on explaining myself.

“Words. Long.”

Okay, what does that mean? Surprisingly, it means that it’s too long to explain.

From when Porori showed up to offering sacrifices, it all needs to be explained.

Rod’s expression turned more confused, and he rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep.

In that moment, I thought about the god Gulrak, who seemed purposely dragging out my faith.

‘Is that little rascal doing this on purpose?’

His antics seemed more fitting for the god of chaos rather than the god of destruction.

Wait a minute. Could it be?

[You have insulted the god. Faith is decreasing.]

“······what the hell.”

I muttered softly. I have a good idea of who’s behind this mess.

While I was distracted, Rod pressed his nose and then asked me with a tired expression.

“Can you say that again? What did you say?”

“What the hell.”

It’s my go-to expression, always ready to roll off my tongue.

Rod nodded at my words with a knowing look.

“I must have misheard. You wouldn’t be speaking.”

“··· ···”

“Stop being weird and get some rest. It’s best to have enough sleep.”

With that, Rod closed the door, leaving me standing there for a while.

In one hand, I firmly grasped the Blue Forget-Me-Not. But as an offering, it was utterly useless.

‘······In the Soul World, you can choose another god at any time.’

Choosing Gaia doesn’t mean I can’t still believe in Gulrak. Thus, there are various ways to increase faith.

But this holds true only when I haven’t chosen Chaos.

Once you choose Chaos, you have to believe in them from start to finish.

There’s no switching to another god because Chaos interferes.

The conditions for ‘Chaos’ are suitable and have greater potential than other gods.

‘So if I want to raise faith when choosing Chaos······’

I need to pique their interest or fun. That fun is random, so it’s practically better to give up.

Even veteran players who have completed multiple runs can’t comprehend the principles behind Chaos.

In other words, just like before, it means they can manipulate my faith at will.

Thud—

Realizing that Chaos was watching me, I flopped down on my bed.

Somehow, even though I only cursed inside, my faith was dropping like crazy.

Unlike Gaia and Gulrak, they don’t reduce faith unless there are specific conditions.

I should have realized that sooner, but I was so beaten down in the forest that it’s only now dawned on me.

‘······If you have a conscience, please increase my faith a little.’

Did I somehow express that?

[You have insulted the god. Faith is decreasing.]

Chaos just threw away my faith.

For some reason, did I hear, “Yeah, screw you?” Or was that just my imagination?

Unlike the other gods, direct communication with Chaos is impossible, so this is the only kind of exchange we can have.

‘······Am I just being toyed with right now?’

At least I can be thankful for their mischievous nature, but they’re essentially a benevolent god.

If they were an evil deity, I wouldn’t be having this much luck. For now, I have to rely on my potential.

Moreover, it’s highly likely that my stats have inflated due to Chaos while living in the forest.

“Ugh.”

I sighed again, thinking about how complicated things would get. Let’s just leave the translations to Porori.

It might be better to partially abandon faith; I have no idea what Chaos would like or find amusing.

But at least they do have a habit of granting quite superb stats, so I can trust in that.

‘Let’s see how this goes.’

I’ll show them I can learn the language without their faith.

The next day, I made a firm resolution.

“The soy sauce factory manager is Kang, and the doenjang factory manager is also Kang.”

“··· ···”

“What do you think? Isn’t it impressive? Just trust in the sky, buddy.”

I got teabagged once again.

It’s not that he’s trying to screw with me; it’s just sadder.

Well. Still—

“Yeah.”

“Huh. You can talk?”

“Ah.”

“Nope.”

I didn’t come away empty-handed.

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