I woke up with the Goddess greeting me, and at the window…
It seemed Leo kept hiding quietly.
"Maw." Leo's soft meow came with a gentle smile.
Leo meowed softly and immediately went outside to play.
I then walked to the window, staring blankly at the world outside.
The system window suddenly appeared.
"ISN'T SHE CUTE? JUST LIKE YOU >3
Balance ignored it.
"HEY! WHY ARE YOU QUIET?!"
Balance threw a stone at the system out of annoyance at the Goddess's noise.
"Damn it!"
"Goddess, who wouldn't be annoyed when they're trying to relax and you keep disturbing them?" Balance said angrily.
"WOW, YOUR ANGER LOOKS JUST LIKE MINE WHEN I WAS LITTLE. YOU REALLY ARE MY FAVORITE CHILD. LET'S GET MARRIED!" the Goddess suddenly typed.
The system screen quickly moved closer to Balance.
Balance's face showed sudden fear, stepping back as the screen kept approaching.
The noise caused a commotion in the apartment, until the landlord came knocking.
"HEY, KID! STOP MAKING NOISE!" shouted the landlord, banging on the door repeatedly.
Balance went out and handed him some money, which immediately made the landlord forget everything and leave happily with the cash.
"Next time don't do that, young man," the landlord said with a fake cheerful smile.
Balance bowed apologetically, then glared at the system with an annoyed look, as if saying, "This is your fault!"
The system screen showed an emoji "'3'."
"Damn Goddess," Balance muttered angrily.
The system screen showed an "XD" emoji.
With my current level, I can create thirty level-20 golems. That's more than enough for the next Rift.
The first time I spoke with the Goddess was when I had just arrived here. Last night she suddenly told me she was the Goddess who imagined this world.
And this world was just her entertainment when she was bored.
Balance reflected, thinking: "The thoughts of gods and goddesses are really different from ordinary people."
He shook his head, trying to forget it all.
He patted his head.
"So, where should I go today?" Balance asked, changing the subject.
He opened his phone.
CENTRAL CITY OF COUNCIL INFORMATION, COME NOW!HERE YOU CAN SEE THE HISTORY OF THE GODS, AND ALSO TRAIN IN THE TOWER RIFT!
Balance read the news, looking at the pictures.
"No way!"
The banyan tree from the past—where they played as kids, swinging on its hanging roots, surrounded by meadows and flowers—
Now had become an old-style city, with the banyan tree as its center.
"What really happened while I stayed silent?" I whispered.
I reflected.
So much had changed since then…
But there must be many guards there, and Orion too.
I sighed.
This is troublesome.
I held my shoulder with one hand, then asked my Goddess:
"Is there an item to disguise myself for a whole month?"
The system paused, then typed:
"YES! BUT IT'S EXPENSIVE. DO YOU WANT IT?"
"Of course, Goddess!" I shouted.
The system showed an ambiguous emoji.
"KISS ME FIRST :d THEN I'LL GIVE YOU THE MONEY…"
"Sorry, Goddess, forget it." I gave a blank look with a sarcastic smile.
"WHY NOT? /V\."
I stared at the system screen tiredly.
"My pride is more important! But…" Balance moved closer to the system screen.
Suddenly Balance grabbed the screen, broke through it, and quickly kissed me (the Author) on the cheek.
"Now is it okay?" Balance grinned mischievously.
".0o0." I froze for a moment.
"…FINE… -\\\-." I said, trembling happily, cheeks red behind the screen.
Balance touched his lips.
"Your skin is so soft—for a delusional writer." His grin widened, his face glowing.
I immediately gave him the item and money.
"That's great, now I can get this item! I should thank her."
Balance received the disguise item and money with joy.
"YOU DON'T NEED TO THANK ME," I interrupted.
"What do you mean?" Balance asked angrily.
"I'M A GODDESS. READING MINDS IS EASY. 0W0."
"So you saw everything in my head?!" Balance shouted angrily.
Balance yelled in frustration, shocked by the Goddess's statement.
"WELL, IT DEPENDS ON MY MOOD. BESIDES, THIS IS JUST A STORY WORLD. TECHNICALLY, YES, I KNOW EVERYTHING—YOUR FATE AS MY COUNCIL, OR ANYONE CONNECTED TO YOU.
BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU. YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT YOURSELF. IT WOULD BE TOO EASY IF I SPOILED YOUR FUTURE." I explained mockingly, smiling behind the screen.
"That's true…" Balance fell silent.
He began preparing to go to the Council's central city—money, food supplies, power banks, extra clothes, and more.
Then he went to the landlord to tell him he'd be gone for three months.
"Young man, I'll always take care of your apartment room. Be careful on the road!" The landlord looked at the money I gave him with a greedy smile.
From that moment, I realized something.
Money doesn't win everything, but everything needs money!
I went to the minimarket nearby to buy more snacks.
"Jam, bread, some chips, sausages, and…"
I grabbed one of my favorite foods.
"MIIIIEEE AHHHH CRAZY, I GOT THIS? SPECIAL EDITION?! I REALLY…"
The shopkeeper scolded me for making a scene. I was so happy I couldn't help it! I quickly apologized, still thrilled, eager to try it later.
After paying, I caressed the special edition noodle pack like a crazy person.
"HE HEHE HE FRIED NOODLES WITH RENDANG AND GREEN PEPPER FLAVOR, I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS IN OTHER CITIES, CRAZYYY~~~~~."
A mother and her assassin child passed by.
"Mom, what's wrong with that guy?" the child asked curiously.
The mother covered the child's eyes and ears.
"Don't look, honey. He's stressed. Let's just go to our mission." She led her child away.
I realized and stopped.
I put the snacks in my bag and continued to the station.
I arrived at the station, waiting for the train to the central city.
It would take a while, since this city had almost no rules, so few dared to send trains here. Trains to big cities usually stopped without schedule.
The train's head appeared through the station fog.
But thanks to my high luck, the train arrived right after I mentioned it.
The doors opened, and I sat on one of the seats, daydreaming about everything that had happened.
None of this felt real. Everything I thought was fairy tales—my playground, my friends.
Back then, I only reflected while reading old fairy tale books Dad bought me. I didn't even understand what was happening. Our area only knew about ranks, not what Councils were. We only knew them as heroes.
But the truth wasn't all good. My fantasies about adulthood, adventure, and magic were too beautiful to be real. If being an adult means living through all this, I don't want to grow up.
All those deaths, misfortunes, luck, fate—they ruined the dreams I made as a child. If there's a dream with the life I imagined, I'd never want to wake up. I'm tired. I wish this was fake, and when I wake up, I'm still playing with my friends.
"Goddess…" I leaned against the train seat with an empty face.
The train arrived at the next station. People started boarding.
Children from the Council youth school, teens with flashy fashion gathering info for their thesis, adults with full gear.
The atmosphere was crowded, suffocating.
Because of the crowd, I felt exhausted. For someone who prefers solitude, a crowded place with strangers is hell, making me dizzy and sick.
Before I knew it, the train quickly reached the destination.
DING… DING… DING…
The train bell rang, announcing arrival.
I was startled by the announcement while daydreaming.
"Are we there already?" I thought.
ALL TRAINS HAVE ARRIVED AT ATHENA STATION.WELCOME TO MEDITERRITORIA CITY :DDON'T FORGET TO CHECK YOUR BELONGINGS, DON'T LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND, SWEETHEART…ENJOY LEARNING AND HAVE FUN EVERYONE!!!
Everyone, including me, left the suffocating train.
As I stepped out, I saw the blue sky, and the station decorated in fresh green, feeling more like a garden than a city. Well, it used to be a garden.
Looking out past the station gate, the banyan tree was still there, grown so huge it could be seen from far away.
I blocked the blazing sunlight shining on my face with my hand.
"They've taken good care of you, huh," I said with a smile, before finally heading to the station bathroom to disguise myself.