LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 78 - Divorce (4)
Chapter 78. Divorce (4)
“Wha… What? How do you…?”
‘Shin’ looked shocked, clearly hearing something from my mouth that no one would have expected to come out.
‘I thought it might be the case, and sure enough, it is.’
To be honest, I had suspected this for a while now—players from the Love Zone getting possessed didn’t seem like a coincidence, especially given the shaman-like trait she had. From the start, it didn’t seem random that someone with her background would end up in the Love Zone.
On the first day the public chat opened, she had mentioned that other players had decided to follow her. That’s not something that could be achieved in such a short time.
And if it had reached the level of forming a cult-like following, it meant there were quite a few players possessed in that zone.
Because of this, I started to wonder if the players who ended up in the Love Zone knew each other even before being possessed.
And, more than anything else…
Among the items found at the convenience store, the one representing the Love Zone was none other than a condom.
There’s no way the shaman standing before me would have bought condoms from a place like that just for fun.
Same goes for the others.
For people like these game addicts, there’s no way they would have had the guts to buy such an item openly, nor would they have had any use for it.
Unless, of course, someone persuaded them to.
[ I don’t know what you’re talking about, but it sounds like you’re being a bit harsh. ]
It might sound harsh, but it’s the truth when you think about it calmly.
That’s why I’ve been suspicious all this time—whether these guys chose the Love Zone’s symbol on purpose.
‘Taejong said he heard that the veterans who went to the convenience store disappeared.’
Shin and the other players must have heard that rumor as well.
It’s unclear whether they predicted actual possession based on the story that people “disappeared” after going to the convenience store, and then decided to team up and pick a specific item.
But at the very least, it was Shin who probably persuaded the others to choose the same item.
If they believed Shin’s persuasion and then ended up possessed after picking the item, it’s no surprise they would follow her blindly afterward.
If Shin had truly predicted the possession as a “shaman,” then even the blind faith of that player, whether his name is Owleyes or whatever, makes sense.
So, what Shin said a moment ago…
– Unless you know about my ‘possession,’ you can’t acknowledge the existence of ‘God,’ so that’s unfortunate.
Upon hearing that, I became convinced.
These people weren’t “possessed” by accident—they *chose* to be possessed.
“How… do you know that?”
Shin asked me, her disbelief evident.
“Did you interrogate the messenger I sent?”
It seemed like she couldn’t believe I’d just guessed, given how half-convinced she already sounded.
“I didn’t touch a single hair on your messenger. In the first place, I wouldn’t even have thought of interrogating him if I didn’t know about your possession.”
“Then how… did you figure it out?”
“How do you think? I’ve explained plenty already.”
I replied with a smile, and Shin’s fingers started to tremble.
“Is there really… someone out there who wanted our possession?”
“Haven’t you ever thought about it? A shaman like you, along with others, getting possessed in the Love Zone—doesn’t it feel like someone’s plan?”
“That’s…”
Shin was visibly shaken.
She was probably thinking I couldn’t have known about their possession without some kind of higher power’s help.
“Do you think anyone would believe that everything so far has been orchestrated? We—no, at least *I* chose to be possessed on my own!”
Whether she was convinced from the start that they would be possessed, or if she’s just trying to rationalize after the fact, I’m not sure.
But raising her voice meant she was being swayed.
Now, it was time to give her some room for self-justification.
“Why don’t you go back and tell your followers?”
“Tell them what?”
“Tell them that the Safe Zone was practice to prevent the Apocalypse, and that we were chosen by the god of this world to stop the end. No one else but DopamineAddict said that.”
“…”
This time, Shin didn’t immediately argue but remained silent.
“…Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”
“Of course. I’m telling you that I’ll help you keep acting as the cult leader or whatever, if that’s what you want.”
Shin was clearly flustered.
Naturally, she probably thought that until now, I was bringing up ‘God’ just to take her items and kick her off her pedestal.
I do plan on getting her earring, but not yet.
‘No need to rush.’
She would hand it over to me willingly sooner or later anyway.
For that to happen, getting her to trust me was more important at this point.
“Are you serious?”
“Did you forget I sent Owleyes back without telling him about the system? I never intended to interfere with your cult plans.”
Although I did plan to use them.
“Why are you… helping me?”
“Because there really is a god in this world. If you want to keep pretending to be a cult leader, go ahead. I’m not interested in roles like that.”
“…”
Shin looked like she was struggling to decide whether to believe me.
It was probably hard for her to accept that there was really a god and that I was delivering its message, but if it were true, she stood to gain something too.
The only reason Shin didn’t want to believe me was simple.
‘She just doesn’t want to lose her items.’
Telling her outright that I wouldn’t take her items would be a rookie mistake.
That’s what a scammer would say.
So, I had to wait for the right moment.
“I don’t think… I can just believe you.”
“Being suspicious is a good trait for a player. So… let me show you.”
“Show me… what?”
[ I’m curious too, what are you planning to show her? ]
I heard Luna’s curious voice as I spoke briefly.
“The god’s representative.”
“The god’s… representative?”
[There’s something like that?]
Not only Shin but also Luna seemed confused.
However, I replied confidently without hesitation.
“Everything I’ve told you so far was from that representative. If you meet them, you’ll have no choice but to believe what I’m saying.”
[Hey… what are you going to show her?]
Luna asked worriedly, and Shin’s face grew more suspicious as she looked at me.
“…Alright. I’ll meet whoever you’re going to show me, this ‘representative.’”
Upon hearing that, I nodded and whispered into my ring.
“Since it’s come to this, could you please come out and help me, Lady Luna?”
[ … ]
For a moment, Luna was speechless.
‘Come on, Luna.’
[…So I’m the one you were planning to show. I’m supposed to act as the god’s representative.]
‘Please, I’m begging you, Lady Luna.’
[Why are you dragging me into this? Unlike you, I’m a good kid!]
‘Please, just this once. Can’t a brother ask his sister for a favor?’
[You never call me sister unless you want something…!]
I had no shame, so I kept on pleading.
‘Siiis—please! Sister!’
[…Fine. Just this once. But this is the last time.]
‘Yes, sister! Absolutely!’
[I really can’t lie…]
With that, Luna finally gave in and appeared, acting as if she had no choice.
“Wh-what is this?!”
Suddenly, something pale white jumped out of my ring, causing Shin to leap onto the chair in shock.
But as soon as she saw that it was just a snow-white kitten that landed on the coffee table in the reception room, her face shifted to a mix of relief and confusion.
“It’s… a cat.”
[ A cat, you say? ]
“…It talks?”
Luna, with an air of dignity, lifted her chin and toddled over to Shin.
[ How insolent. To compare me to such a lowly creature. I am the representative of God. ]
For someone who claimed they couldn’t lie, she was remarkably natural at it.
Maybe this one really is my mother’s child.
Shin, still bewildered, stared at Luna for a while before pointing a finger at her and asking me.
“…DopamineAddict, this… is the ‘representative of God’ you mentioned?”
[ *This*?!! ]
Luna jumped, startled, as Shin carefully lifted her up with both hands and began feeling her body.
[ Wh-what are you doing?! ]
Luna struggled, but couldn’t break free from the player’s grip.
“Doesn’t seem like a monster, since there’s no jewel embedded in it…”
Oh, she was checking to see if Luna had a jewel like a monster. But now she seemed more focused on petting her.
[ Meow, meow—! Stop touching me! ]
“Oh, sorry. You were just so soft.”
Shin gently put Luna back down, still unsure of how to process what had just happened, and looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“A talking cat jumping out of a ring… That’s something I’ve never seen in the game.”
“Still suspicious?”
“…”
Shin seemed to ponder something briefly before turning to Luna and asking.
“Are you really the representative of God?”
[ Indeed. ]
“Then, is it true that DopamineAddict’s ‘Full Zone Conqueror’s Perk’ can actually prevent the Apocalypse?”
Funny how she wasn’t using formal speech with me, but she immediately switched to polite speech with Luna.
[ Of course, it can. He was summoned to save this world. ]
Luna seemed to have quite a knack for scamming.
Whether Shin believed Luna or not, her expression was ambiguous. She stared at Luna, then, with a robotic smile, asked again.
“What kind of power is it that can stop the Apocalypse?”
[ Uh…? Well, that’s… ]
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Luna glanced at me, clearly flustered.
Looks like this is as far as Luna can take it.
Before Shin grew too suspicious, I quickly intervened.
“You’d like me to show you directly, wouldn’t you? Very well.”
At this, Luna, knowing full well what my Full Zone Conqueror’s Perk was, widened her eyes in shock.
Her expression screamed, ‘What on earth are you planning to show her?!’
Luna’s tail twitched anxiously, tapping the table a couple of times.
‘No need to be so nervous.’
The whole setup—from needing experienced players in this world to the representative of God—was all meant to build up to this moment when she’d witness my “power.”
“With the representative’s permission, I’d like to show you the power I’ve been granted. Do you agree?”
“Shouldn’t you have just shown it from the start if you could?”
“To show this power, I need permission and agreement.”
“I don’t know what you’re up to… but sure. Seeing it with my own eyes would be more convincing than all this talk about the representative of God.”
“Then I’ll take that as consent…”
I extended my hand toward her.
“Lend me your earring for a moment.”
“…Ha.”
Shin rubbed her forehead, as if she had a headache, and spoke slowly.
“So, in the end, all this talk was just a lie to get my earring, huh? Sorry, but I’m not as stupid as the others you’ve tricked…”
Funny how every person who says that ends up falling for it.
“I clearly said ‘lend.’ You don’t have to give me both, just one will do. Then I’ll show you the power that can stop the Apocalypse.”
Shin’s expression became complicated.
I recognized that look.
It wasn’t so much that she didn’t trust me, but more that she was curious—so curious that her dopamine-driven impulse was getting the better of her.
‘If it’s just one earring, nothing too bad can happen… And if worse comes to worst, I can always shoot him with the pistol in my pocket.’
…Yeah, she was probably thinking something along those lines.
I wiggled my fingers temptingly.
“The earring. Come on, you want to see it too.”
“…I really don’t know what kind of trick you’re trying to pull.”
With a smirk, Shin unclipped one of her earrings and placed it in my hand.
“Don’t forget, I’m a player too. If you try anything funny, you’d better be ready.”
“Of course.”
Taking the earring from Shin, I walked toward the window.
I could feel Luna watching me anxiously.
I gave her a reassuring smile and opened the window wide.
Swaaah…
The thick snow that had been falling all morning began to swirl into the room.
Even Shin knew that the snowstorm raging outside wouldn’t stop anytime soon—it was the same storm she had battled through to get here.
I looked up at the sky, noticing the thick clouds blanketing the heavens.
Once I confirmed the mass of dark clouds overhead, I gestured for Shin to come closer.
“Come take a look.”
“You’re not going to push me out the window, are you?”
“Why would I do that?”
Still suspicious, Shin didn’t come too close but kept her distance while watching me.
“Look at the sky.”
“The sky?”
“With only 1.5 meteorite items, I can only show you this much power. But I believe you’ll understand the potential.”
“What? What are you talking about…”
Shin started to say something but kept her gaze fixed on the storm clouds as I had instructed.
Once I saw that her eyes were on the sky, I raised the earring-clutched fist toward the heavens.
And soon enough, Shin’s eyes filled with astonishment.
“What… what is that?”
Because beyond my raised fist, the sky had started to clear.
Now, it was time to seal the deal.
“A miracle of God. Do you believe now?”