"Is this what death feels like?"
That peculiar sensation of the soul being stripped from the body, floating up and down.
Adam's hazy consciousness gradually became clearer.
This... couldn't be death.
Though he didn't know what was happening, since he had consciousness and could think, it wasn't true death by definition. His body felt heavy, and he couldn't open his eyes.
The previously fragmented, chaotic sounds became increasingly distinct as his consciousness awakened.
"Damn you. Cursed Witch! I never thought you'd dare to scheme against me, Pandora."
It was still that strange three-part distinctive tone.
It was Ra. His anger was palpable, even though the rest of his speech lacked emotional fluctuation.
The next moment, a lively, cheerful, and coquettish female voice rang out.
"My, my, Creator God, I'm just a weak little woman. How could I possibly scheme against you?"
This was mockery, wasn't it? Blatant mockery.
Her affected, feigned weak tone only added fuel to the fire, making Ra even more agitated.
"You...!"
"It wasn't me, Creator God."
After provoking Ra's anger, just as he was about to explode, the girl suddenly threw out a bombshell answer.
"Because... you see, Creator God wanted to escape from mythology, but other Deities wouldn't allow that. After all, your Defiance would give them enormous Divine Power." As she explained, the girl wiped away tears and said with a whimper, "I'm just a weak little woman, how could I possibly resist other Deities? Don't you agree?"
A standard victim declaration. She placed herself in the victim's position, trying to seek forgiveness from those she had harmed.
This girl called Pandora was a textbook white lotus!
"You, do you think I would believe your words?!" As expected, though arrogant, Ra was no fool.
Clearly, he knew the true nature of the girl before him, or rather, her nature (Divinity) as a Witch.
"Perhaps you're right. Because I wanted to escape the constraints of mythology, as the Supreme Creator God, I might have touched upon the interests of other Gods... but your role in all this isn't so simple, is it?"
Ra stared at Pandora, dressed in a white gown and feigning fragility, then pointed at Adam, who was lying in a massive magic circle.
"Him, you deliberately brought him here, didn't you?"
Though phrased as a question, both parties knew the truth of the situation.
"Who knows~ Maybe other Deities interfered."
"Ridiculous. Huh! Witch full of lies." Ra was clearly displeased with Pandora, who had schemed against him while hiding behind her deceptions.
"Even though I'm just a weak woman, you're still so hostile toward me. You're such a cruel Creator God…" Pandora continued trying to lower his guard with her fake fragile smile.
But seeing that Ra remained unmoved, she dropped her pretense.
"The time has come! Now… please bestow upon him, Creator God — my child, your fated enemy, the newborn Fool — please grant him your blessing (power)."
"You... hmph, damn it!" Ra looked at Adam with great reluctance.
But bound by contract, as the God of Defiance, he had been defeated and had no choice but to withdraw after bestowing his power upon another.
Unwillingly channeling Divine Power into the magic circle, he shouted arrogant proclamations while lamenting his loss.
"Consider this your victory, but next time you won't be so lucky!"
Looking at the man before him — a mere mortal who would rather die than fail to defeat him and usurp his power — Ra suddenly felt something akin to respect.
In the end, he offered a sincere blessing.
"Try to stay alive until I awaken from mythology again, and then... I shall personally send you to your grave, my worthy opponent!"
He didn't want to admit his defeat, but Pandora twisted the knife further.
Covering her mouth, she giggled and said, "You're such a tsundere. You were defeated due to your own carelessness, yet you speak as if you were defeated in a fair fight. My, could it be... you think losing in a direct confrontation would be less embarrassing? What strange thinking."
"Sh-shut up!" Ra cursed angrily. His expression suddenly changed as he cried out in shock, "Wh-what's happening? My Divine Power! The Divine Power I accumulated with such difficulty..."
"Ah... this is punishment."
"Wh-what do you mean?!"
"To prevent you from causing more trouble for the other Deities, all your Divine Power and Defiance will be offered as a sacrifice." Pandora once again put on her victim expression. Blinking her big eyes pitifully, she said in a soft, coquettish voice, "So please don't blame me, Creator God. The other Deities made me do it."
"...Damn it—!"
Ra could only shout his frustration before transforming into a mass of energy that gradually merged into the magic circle before him.
"AHHH—!!!" The sudden intense pain made Adam, who was in a semi-conscious state, scream out loud.
This enormous energy instantly broke through his mental defenses.
It was far more painful than before!
Not just his physical body, but his nerves and other mysterious parts began to ache violently. The energy within him rapidly grew, with other elements expanding as well.
This forcefully intruding power was something Adam couldn't refuse!
Pain, yet with a strange longing!
Ra had been right — he truly hadn't used his full power before. If this massive energy had been unleashed from the beginning, Adam's body would have certainly collapsed.
Indeed, as Ra had claimed, he had been holding back all along, fearing damage to the body he occupied.
The young girl sitting beside Adam seemed moved to sympathy by his screams and his face twisted in agony.
She gently stroked his furrowed brow as her coquettish voice offered soothing words.
"This pain is a necessary stage of growth. To stand at the pinnacle, you must endure suffering. Feed on the Gods to make yourself stronger!
This is the burden you must bear as my child, as The Fool, as the Campione."
Her words had a remarkable effect.
The violent energy entering Adam's body gradually became tamed, transforming into special magical power that merged with his being. His pain receded, replaced by a sudden feeling of lightness and exhilaration.
It felt as though his body had received a tremendous boost, as if heavy chains that once bound him had fallen away.
He felt amazing!
✧✧✧
T/N: In case you didn't catch the reference, the MC's new title refers to The Fool, one of the 78 cards in a tarot deck. Despite the name, the best description I found that explains the author's choice for this title is:
In many esoteric tarot interpretation systems, the Fool represents the protagonist of a story, with the Major Arcana depicting the path the Fool takes through life's great mysteries. This journey is traditionally known in cartomancy as the "Fool's Journey" and is commonly used to introduce beginners to the meaning of Major Arcana cards.
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
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