The Nature of Possession – Chapter 71

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Lanael froze, stunned by the unexpected accusation.

Nibir, known for her benevolent nature, now exerted an overwhelming pressure, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

“Lanael… tell me. Where is that soul?”

“It’s…”

“Can’t you tell me?”

Her voice was soft, but the weight of her words made Lanael hesitate.

“Then I’m no longer speaking to you as your senior… but as Nibir, 2nd Class Dimensional Administrator.”

Snap!

Nibir leaned back and snapped her fingers.

The teacups and table vanished.

Lanael’s comfortable wooden chair transformed into a cold, unforgiving metal one.

Nibir’s white wings, which she had previously chided Lanael for displaying, now spread wide as she hovered above her junior.

“3rd Class Dimensional Administrator Lanael.”

Her voice, though soft, echoed through the vast space, amplified many times over.

“Y-yes!!!”

Lanael, finally grasping the gravity of the situation, snapped to attention, her eyes fixed nervously on Nibir above.

Shimmering specks of light, like falling feathers, rained down.

Lanael, well aware of the destructive power hidden beneath that divine radiance, finally confessed.

“I… I accidentally killed an extra soul.”

“What kind of accident?”

“I… I forgot I had already collected a soul from my dimension…”

“Does that even make sense? You forgot about a soul you collected?”

Nibir was about to berate her further, but she stopped, a sudden thought occurring to her.

“Don’t tell me… you… you delegated the soul collection in your own dimension to your subordinates?”

“…”

“Oh, for crying out loud…”

Nibir covered her face with her hand and muttered in disbelief.

What kind of god would entrust the sacrifice of souls from their own dimension to a lower-ranking god?

“You must have been busy, right? That’s why you delegated the task?”

Even among gods, there was a hierarchy, a division of labor.

Gods might be absolute beings to mortals, but in the divine realm, 3rd and 4th Class gods were little more than errand runners.

Having been a 3rd Class administrator herself, Nibir wanted to believe there was a valid reason, some extenuating circumstance.

“…It wasn’t… because I was busy.”

Lanael shattered her hopes.

Crash-boom-bang!!!

Nibir, renowned for her calm demeanor, unleashed her fury, shaking the very foundations of her dimensional space.

Once the storm subsided, her voice, now calm but cold, addressed Lanael.

“Setting aside your incompetence… where is that soul now?”

“I’m sorry! I don’t know!”

Lanael cried out and prostrated herself.

“But… you sent them to another dimension. It seems you set it up so that upon death, they’re automatically transferred. There must be a coordinate formula.”

“I used a completely random dimension transfer spell. I can’t track them.”

“This gets worse with every word. Aren’t you curious how I found out about this?”

“H-how did you find out?”

“The soul you sent ended up in the dimension I manage. It’s caused quite the disruption in causality.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Honestly, I could overlook this. If you were a 3rd Class administrator under my supervision, it wouldn’t be a problem… but you’re not.”

“…”

“I called you here to tell you that you need to find that soul and retrieve it before Headquarters finds out.”

Nibir paused, taking a deep breath.

“I suspect you did this out of spite, because the soul offended you somehow… but even mortal souls deserve respect, especially those chosen for sacrifice.”

“Yes…”

“If the soul had possessed someone in a dimension managed by another 3rd or 4th Class god, I could have covered it up. Rank has its privileges. But… it’s different with another 2nd Class god. I’ve only just been promoted myself.”

“R-right…”

“And… if the worst-case scenario happens, if that soul possesses someone in a dimension managed by a 1st Class god or higher, and they find out…”

“What will happen?”

“You’ll be stripped of your divinity… and probably sent to hell.”

“W-what should I do?”

“You should have thought about that before you acted so carelessly… Anyway, find that soul. Quickly. It’s your only chance.”

“Yes…”

Nibir dismissed her dejected junior, but her hand remained pressed against her forehead long after Lanael had left.

A stress headache.

As a god.

How absurd.

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“She’s a good kid…”

Nibir knew that Lanael wasn’t inherently malicious, just vain and shortsighted.

She floated in thought for a while, then landed with a look of determination on her face.

“I suppose I’ll have to help her.”

She waved her hand, and complex patterns began to appear on the floor.

Red light seeped from the lines, then burst into flames.

The fire burned for a while, then died down, revealing a charred human form within the patterns.

Nibir reached out and gently touched what appeared to be the head.

A soft light emanated from the point of contact and slowly spread throughout the body.

The charred flesh regenerated, revealing a woman.

“…”

The woman remained unresponsive, simply staring at her hands as if assessing her condition.

“Are you alright?”

“…Who?”

The woman looked up, her eyes unfocused.

Nibir smiled gently.

“I am Nibir, 2nd Class Dimensional Administrator. Um… think of me as the god of your world.”

“A… god… Then, god, why have you summoned me? I believe I was sent to hell for killing people.”

“That’s right. You killed many innocent people. You burned them alive.”

“No, I don’t regret killing those vermin. I only killed one person. If I hadn’t sent him there… he would still be alive.”

The woman vehemently denied Nibir’s accusation.

“Ahem… anyway, I’ve learned that there were… extenuating circumstances… that led you to do what you did. I’ve summoned you to offer you a pardon.”

“A pardon? I don’t need your pardon… I deserve to suffer. I don’t deserve peace. God, please send me back to hell.”

“What if I told you the person you thought you killed is still alive?”

A flicker of hope ignited in the woman’s dull eyes.

“What…? Alive? Is he alive?”

“Yes, he’s alive. But he’s very far away. I don’t know his exact location.”

“I see. Then you must have summoned me here for a reason.”

“Indeed. You’re quick-witted. Perhaps it’s because you were such a resourceful office worker?”

Nibir coughed, then looked down at the frail mortal.

“I need you to do some work for me, Miss Mina.”

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[T/N: LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOO]

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