Chapter 73

I’m not quite sure why my faith went up, but I headed home anyway.

On the way back, Eli and Kara had a bit of a squabble, but that ended quickly too.

They decided to take turns hugging each other. Since I didn’t care who I hugged, I just kept my mouth shut.

In situations like this, silence is usually the best policy. I might not know why they were arguing, but I did know that much.

“Fortunately, nothing seems broken. Would you like some tea?”

“I’d appreciate it if you could.”

The house was in incredibly clean condition. I worried that something might be damaged while calling upon Ragnarok, but thankfully, that was just my overactive imagination.

That said, I wouldn’t leave anything outside. It would be a hassle if some wild animal took it.

I mean, you could say it’s ridiculous for wild animals to take stuff, but raccoons and squirrels were actually stealing things.

Even while living in the wild, I had my fair share of food stolen. Most of the time, raccoons would sneak up and take whatever they pleased.

“Now I need to tell you how to get closer to Chaos. In the future, Sivar will need to receive Chaos’s blessings, so I’ll share my know-how.”

Rize, in her saint mode rather than her Gwonseong mode, spoke to me. I just blinked at her words.

As I said before, Chaos is known for bestowing blessings upon what are commonly called ‘fools.’

For reasons unknown, to Chaos, it must have been quite the amusing situation just now.

“Receiving blessings from Chaos is actually very simple. It’s all about piquing Chaos’s interest or satisfying it. That’s it!”

“Is that really all? No need for prayers or offerings?”

Kara asked in a slightly incredulous tone. After all, she was a follower of Gulrak, who required offerings.

While there are various offerings you can make, the increase in power isn’t that high. Moreover, the stronger you get, the better the offerings need to be.

Hector and Kara could manage lightning easily because they had offered countless tributes during the unification of their tribe.

Porori also received blessings directly from Gulrak because they had offered valuable acorns as part of their own; unexpected for a creature of their sort.

Thus, while the standards for offerings are surprisingly demanding yet simple, Chaos is just plain complicated, making one ponder.

“Yes. Chaos is in between Gaia and Gulrak. They oversee the ground and the sky. Some refer to them as a human, while others describe them as the world we live in itself. In the beginning, though there was heaven and earth, our world didn’t exist. Hence, they show great interest in the world we inhabit.”

“··· ···”

I still didn’t understand a word of it. I felt like I got it, but it was still puzzling.

Others around us had the same look on their faces, wondering what on earth she was talking about, except for Rod, who seemed to know her well.

Anticipating confusion, Rize grinned and succinctly summarized it.

“In simpler terms, they’re an extremely human-like deity. They’re a god who experiences emotions like joy, anger, and sadness, much like us, who wish to be together. More accessible than other gods but, because they are a deity, also more distant. At the same time, they love us more than anyone else, which is why they will also give sharp criticism.”

“······That’s truly chaotic.”

Luna replied, looking a bit bemused. She appeared lost for words.

“You don’t need to understand it fully; even Chaos doesn’t care much about it. However, after decades of serving Chaos, I’ve realized they have certain pursuits.”

“Pursuits?”

“Yes. Not vague methods, but clear ways to receive blessings.”

That was news to me, or was it something I couldn’t remember?

If you’re chosen by Chaos in the Soul World, it’s said you’ve hit the jackpot.

Unless you’re a concept player, it’s usually far better to restart, and even those concept players had to be quite clever about it.

Even established players have given up trying to analyze Chaos’s complicated actions. They are that unpredictable.

As I pondered this, Rize took a sip of tea before speaking in a soothing tone.

“It’s proof.”

“Proof…?”

“Yes. Proof. Achieving results from your efforts. That’s what Chaos prefers the most.”

Hearing that made me reflect deeply. Did I see anything like that in the Soul World?

But the ‘proof’ that Rize mentioned was something hard to showcase in games, so my memories were blurry.

To begin with, followers chosen by Chaos are quite rare and hard to encounter.

“So if Sivar shows proof, Chaos will be delighted. For now, mastering that Berserk trait would be a start.”

“What comes after? Once I can control the Berserk, is that all?”

“No. Sivar will have to determine what they wish to pursue. Chaos respects our choices.”

So, the emphasis was on managing the Berserk first. If I had Rize’s help, I could control it quickly.

But the follow-up was crucial. What on earth did Chaos see in me?

‘Is it because I crossed over from another world?’

That was a high possibility. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for Chaos to show interest in me.

Moreover, my goal is an easy clear. Perhaps Chaos knew this and chose me for that reason.

‘But why me of all people?’

I almost wanted to grab Chaos by the collar and ask why I was the chosen one among so many souls.

No, putting that aside, why did they have to drop me in the forest instead of the city? In the notoriously tough Chaos Forest, no less.

At least Gaia and Gulrak have temples, but Chaos doesn’t even have that. Going to Byzantium would be pointless.

‘In a sense, Rize represents Chaos, doesn’t she?’

Want to grab Chaos by the collar? Then I’d better grab Rize instead.

Of course, I could guess the outcome without needing to say it out loud. The moment I grab her collar, my head might just roll off.

I sighed inwardly. Now that I knew what Chaos sought, I’d better focus on clearing the game for the time being.

‘There’s still a long way to go with the Academy Collapse part.’

For now, I just hoped Rod’s condition would improve. He was slowly getting better, but still had a ways to go.

Rod was also digging up the Board Member’s background bit by bit, so it wouldn’t be long before the identity of the ‘backer’ would surface. If I could take care of that, the future would be smoother.

“Oh, and there’s another situation that might pique Chaos’s interest.”

Just as I was about to wrap things up, Rize spoke up, and everyone turned their gaze towards her.

Rize flashed a gentle smile and looked around me, where Eli and Kara were sitting next to me.

Lastly, Luna was on the edge right beside Kara. What stood out was the proximity between Kara and Eli.

While Luna seemed quite relaxed, Kara and Eli were practically glued to me.

Their shoulders were so close that it felt a bit uncomfortable. I had no idea why they were being like this today.

“Humans are called social animals. In other words, Chaos has a huge interest in human relationships.”

“Human relationships…?”

“Yes. Colleagues, friends, lovers, couples, rivals, enemies, siblings, parents, subordinates, and many more. We live surrounded by countless relationships. A friend can become a lover or an enemy, and they might even become a parent someday.”

“····· There’s no way things like that happen.”

Luna asked incredulously at the idea of a friend becoming a parent.

Rize must have anticipated this, as she smiled and offered a perfect counterexample.

“There’s no such thing as nonsense in this world, Luna. There are just too many absurdities out there.”

Who was it again? I can’t remember clearly, but I know there’s a perfectly opposite example.

A story about a president who married his friend’s mom, and then his friend became his son.

A rather intriguing tale that garnered global attention because of their good relationship as a couple.

“Anyway, the more complicated Sivar’s human relationships are, the more interest Chaos will take. Especially if Sivar ends up with a significant other, Chaos would even applaud.”

“Is it really that much…?”

Eli asked hesitantly, her tone filled with bewilderment. It felt like there was a hint of expectation in her voice, but I wasn’t entirely sure.

At that, Kara shot her a sideways glance. While her expression didn’t change, there was a tinge of wariness.

“Have you seen that novel? It’s about a man living in the wild who falls in love with a woman from civilization. It’s a really beautiful and fascinating story.”

“I-I read it too!”

Eli exclaimed excitedly. She couldn’t contain herself as she began to explain who the protagonist was and what kind of life he led.

How he met the expedition team, what journey he went through, and the reasons he fell in love with the woman. She was completely engrossed.

Though the ending wasn’t too rosy. Though the relationship between the man and the woman was strong, the expedition team had many issues.

“I don’t understand. Why is it a problem to help someone live like a human being?”

“That’s just how people are, Eli. They can be racist for no reason based on skin color, so imagine what wildlings must face?”

“That’s a painful truth.”

Kara muttered softly. She must have experienced severe discrimination when coming to the Academy.

Things have gotten better now, but it must have been tough for her to be treated as a barbarian. I silently held her hand.

It was already bad enough for her, but now it seemed she was getting unnecessary attention because of me. I felt slightly guilty about Hector too.

While it was he who instigated things, I still felt a tinge of regret because he was her biological father.

“Sivar?”

“It’s okay.”

I wondered if my elevated faith was the reason behind it. I managed to speak three syllables without difficulty.

Kara appeared surprised by this fact, her eyes widening before she cracked a small smile. She then pinched my cheek affectionately.

“Right. We should stick together and have some fun. Thanks for the comfort.”

“Similar circumstances…”

Eli seemed bothered by Kara’s comment and whispered quietly. I let that fall on deaf ears.

“Just because controlling the Berserk means Sivar will completely turn into a person doesn’t mean that’s the end of it. You all will need to help Sivar build human relationships like a normal person. So I’d appreciate your support.”

“Of course. Besides, there’s no one else around to have fun with but him.”

“Sis, you can play with me too! Why are you only trying to play with Sivar?”

“Sivar gets lonely, you know. We should at least have fun when we’re together.”

“I can do that too!”

Here they go again. I leaned back against the bickering duo.

I had no idea why they were arguing so much today. Can’t they just get along for once?

While that was happening, Rize shifted her attention from the fighting duo back to Luna.

“Luna.”

“Y-yes?”

Luna, lost in thought, looked startled by the call and raised her head.

Rize glanced at the still-bickering pair, smiled brightly, and made a request.

“I’d appreciate your interest as well, Luna. I’ve heard you were the first to meet Sivar along with Eli?”

“Oh, yes. I will.”

“Luna, you too?”

“Why you?”

As soon as Luna agreed to Rize’s request, questions from Eli and Kara flew in like arrows.

Both of them were clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Their expressions screamed, “You too?”

Caught off guard, Luna nervously asked with a hint of defensiveness.

“Is it not okay for me to show interest…?”

There was a clear miscommunication brewing.