—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
I do not understand what you are saying. You have perfectly completed my trial.
“What do you mean?”
I could understand that I had somehow completed the trial. But no matter how I thought about it, it didn’t feel “perfect.” I had died right there, failing to save Hailen from destruction.
‘Besides, the other talented individuals in the trial barrier would have all died, so the world would probably be on the path to destruction.’
Yet, the god said I had completed it “perfectly.” That meant, perhaps…
“Was the goal of the trial not to prevent the world’s destruction?”
Something other than preventing the world’s destruction. Then there might be other actions I took that fulfilled his trial’s conditions.
‘The 31st Demon Lord? Or perhaps developing Libero’s swordsmanship to the point of coordinating with Elsie?’
I had also achieved high stats, although it was through the use of the Awakening Pills. But all of that felt too vague to be the god’s trial.
Of course, they weren’t easy feats, but compared to the previous concepts of regret and ordeal in the other trials, they felt too tangential.
It seems you’ve lost your way. Then I’ll give you a hint.
“A hint?”
Yes. Do you know when you properly realized that space was my trial?
When I realized it was a trial.
Actually, I sensed something was strange from the moment I heard about the Demon Lord invasion.
There was no information about the Demon Lords being able to invade Hailen at this time in Seo Yoo Rang’s memories.
And that sense of déjà vu deepened with the appearance of Guineus, whom I had already killed. The same was true for the 31st Demon Lord, who appeared after her.
But that was just déjà vu; I hadn’t reached the idea that this was a trial space.
‘I was completely deceived.’
Like a dream within a dream. It was the same principle. I left the trial, but even that was still within the trial. He had flawlessly tricked me with that method.
‘But the moment I heard the word “fragment,” I realized it.’
The ‘fragment of the Chain’ that the 31st Demon Lord mentioned.
Of course, the word “chain” also bothered me, and I still didn’t understand what it meant. It might have just been the ramblings of a dying Demon Lord.
But the word “fragment” led me to a single idea. What if this place was a trial, separated from the real world like a fragment?
It was an idea without concrete evidence, but conversely, if this wasn’t a trial, there were too many unexplainable things.
Then, the moment I realized it was a trial was…
“Right after I defeated the 31st Demon Lord.”
That is correct. Then until that point, you believed that place was the real world. And so did the people there.
The god was right. Because I believed that place was the real world, I wanted to prevent its destruction, even at the cost of my own life.
And that was because I believed the people there were real.
‘Elsie and Yuseora were the same.’
If I had thought this was a trial like a mock battle, I would have used them as assets without hesitation.
I might have even returned to the trial myself and made a contract with the god directly to bring them out.
Even if they had come out on their own, I wouldn’t have hesitated to take them with me. But the reason I couldn’t do that was because I believed they were the real Elsie and Yuseora.
That’s why I hesitated, and that’s why I was persuaded by them.
In the end, believing their lives were real allowed me to achieve the best possible outcome.
‘That means…’
At that moment, I had a realization. It made sense, considering the way this unknown god had acted so far.
The incident with the interim reward, and the words he had given me along the way.
‘He’s a little different from the God of Regret or the God of Reality.’
Those gods had mainly spoken about things related to “me.” But this god was different. He hadn’t known much about “me” from our first meeting.
But he had always talked about the people around me. That couldn’t be a coincidence. The consistency in his actions, which had been difficult to discern until now, was finally falling into place.
Then there was only one name that came to mind.
“Are you the God of Connections?”
Correct. I gave you a hint, but I didn’t expect you to get it in one go.
I hadn’t expected to get it in one go either. There were many potential concepts, like trust or friendship. But the only concept that unified them all was “connections.”
I am the god who governs the concept of connections. But since connections ultimately belong to humans, I am also a pitiful god who doesn’t fully understand the concept I govern.
A god who governs human connections.
A god who, because he was a god, didn’t properly understand the concept of connections, and because he was trapped in the trial, couldn’t interact with the people outside.
A god limited to observing the students of the Hero Academy within the trial space.
‘But then, isn’t he really the God of Voyeurism?’
Ahem, I am also trapped here against my will. I did not confine myself to this place willingly.
I decided to believe him for now.
“Then does me perfectly completing your trial mean I fulfilled your criteria for connections?”
I was a bit doubtful. The god himself didn’t fully understand connections, yet I had perfectly completed his trial. I couldn’t grasp his criteria.
To explain that, I must first tell you this. This wasn’t just your trial. Connections cannot be formed alone.
“Does that mean Elsie and Yuseora were also…”
Yes, I dragged them into the trial as well for this trial. The people you fought alongside were not illusions, but real. Of course, after the trial ends, it will remain as a faint memory, like a dream, for them.
Hearing that, I felt a bit relieved. I had been feeling a sense of emptiness, thinking they were just illusions of the trial.
But thankfully, those who scolded me, trusted me, and fought alongside me were the real Elsie and Yuseora.
And the trial wasn’t just for you and them, but for me as well. Learning about connections by observing you. That was my trial.
After a brief pause, the god continued,
To be more precise, as you know from receiving the interim reward, the trial began the moment you met me. The moment I felt fondness and curiosity towards you.
He began to recount the story from when we first met.
The God of Regret found you amusing, and the God of Reality pitied you. The emotion I felt when I first saw you was fondness.
“Fondness?”
Yes, you cherished the connections you made and struggled to protect the world for those connections. Your willingness to sacrifice even your life and honor for that purpose seemed so beautiful to me, given the concept of connections I held at the time.
It was still the same now. I was still prepared to sacrifice my life and honor for that purpose. But even so, there was a clear difference between me now and me back then.
So at first, I wondered if you even needed my trial. But as I continued to observe you within the trial… I realized something at some point. Connections are not one-sided.
As expected of the God of Connections. He had already realized what I had only just grasped after numerous conflicts.
Back then, you simply cherished those connections from your own perspective. You were afraid to consider how the other party felt about you. That’s why you always ran away like a coward, as if severing those connections.
Yes, I was a coward.
I cherished connections but always chose to sever them because I lacked the confidence to protect them.
That’s why I always ran away and maintained that ridiculous disguise in front of Elsie, whom I met again.
That wasn’t a proper connection. It was fortunate that Ercia realized that first and reached out to you. Thanks to that, you were able to face the connections you had been avoiding head-on. However…
I knew it too. That wasn’t the end.
“I was still only thinking about connections one-sidedly, even then.”
I had stopped running away, but I still tried to avoid and turn away from them. I didn’t consider how they felt about me at all.
I only tried to shoulder all the responsibility myself.
And the God of Connections knew that.
“So you threw me into this trial.”
A real battle situation, not a mock battle. Moreover, it was a situation I could never overcome with my strength alone. In that situation, he had used Elsie and Yuseora to give me an epiphany.
“It was quite an elaborate trial.”
But he partially denied my words.
It was elaborate, yes. But I can’t say that everything you experienced went according to my intentions. If it had, you definitely wouldn’t have passed my trial.
“Huh?”
It wasn’t me who offered the contract to Ercia. She was the one who requested to be let out. Although she probably didn’t know she was talking to a god.
That was unexpected. I hadn’t thought that Elsie, who was relatively ignorant about gods, would take the initiative to make a contract with one.
You turned away from them, but they tried their best to change your perspective. To be honest, they played a bigger role than you in this trial.
It was embarrassing, but he was right.
If they hadn’t tried so hard, I wouldn’t have been able to face my connections head-on.
And I wouldn’t have been able to defeat the 31st Demon Lord, even though that wasn’t the original goal of the trial.
That is why I said this trial wasn’t just for you. Even I realized that during the trial. And only then could I understand.
The god continued, this time about his own trial, not mine.
Connections… are not such a simple concept. It is a more complex concept than regret, reality, or any other concept. Perhaps it’s a miracle that it can even be expressed with the single word ‘connections.
While his words sounded like despair at first glance, I knew they weren’t. I had also come to understand connections by listening to him.
You asked me earlier about my criteria for connections. To answer that… there are none. At least now, I understand that there’s no right answer when it comes to connections. But I can be certain of one thing.
He gave up on defining the concept of connections. Instead, he offered the answer he had found.
I like your connections.
It wasn’t the “right answer,” but just “an answer.” But I liked that answer too.
“I like them too.”
A lot had happened in the past few months. Although they weren’t life-threatening, they were quite difficult for me, who wasn’t used to such things. But I could confidently say it was worth it.
‘Because I made comrades.’
Perhaps the reason I entered the Hero Academy wasn’t to learn archery or to create a new identity.
After years of wandering and traveling alone, and after losing Libero, whom I had become close to, I was definitely… lonely.
It would be a lie if I said the letter I left for Elsie wasn’t on my mind back then.
‘Perhaps I wanted to see Elsie again.’
She was one of the few connections I had made in this world. Among those connections, she was the only one I could meet while maintaining my optimal growth route.
And in hindsight, that choice was the right one.
But you must not stop here.
“Of course. To protect these connections, I must prevent the world’s destruction.”
Not just Elsie. The other connections I had to leave behind for my growth were precious to me as well. And someday…
‘I want to go back to the inn.’
Personally, I wanted to invite Elsie and treat her to Weiss’s cooking. For that, I first needed to prevent the world’s destruction.
Good. Then I shall offer you the only help I can give. Last time, it was a minor interim reward, but this time, I will give you the final reward for my trial.
I looked up at the sky, now accustomed to it. At that moment, something caught my eye among the branches of the giant tree. It was a shape obscured by a dark shadow.
‘That’s…’
I couldn’t see clearly because it was dark, but I was certain. It was someone I had met before. And at the same time, it was someone I had been eagerly waiting for for months.
“The God of Chains?”
He tossed a fruit into the air and caught it.
Let’s put the reward on hold for a moment. I heard you were looking for me?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
