"Could it be that you're immune to my charm?"
Freya sat up straight in the bed, her delicate hand holding the sheet to her chest, but a startled look still appeared on her face.
Gods possess passive abilities.
But for most gods, it's nothing more than something trivial like "mortals can't lie in front of them." Freya, however, was different.
She was the Goddess of Beauty.
For her, even beauty alone was already an ability.
More specifically, she had an incredibly powerful charm ability, strong enough to make people lose reason, shatter cognition, and even rewrite memories. Forget mortals, even other gods couldn't resist her charm. They could only fall at her feet, captivated.
This charm, born from her divine beauty, was her passive ability. It didn't require the use of divine power, so it wouldn't trigger banishment back to the heavens.
She had already used her charm on Ryoji several times today, trying to win him over.
And yet, he wasn't affected at all?
Why?!
Wasn't he a pervert?
Normally, no matter how upright someone was, they couldn't resist her charm. So why could this pervert, who invited her to sing the moment they met, ignore her charm completely?
She couldn't figure it out!
"Well, I won't deny it's charming... but I'll pass today. I'm abstaining from lust today." Ryoji waved his hand again, looking somewhat regretful.
He was basically saying that he didn't have the stamina.
"You..." Freya's expression shifted slightly.
Then she stepped off the bed, letting go of the bedsheet, not caring about exposing herself. She strolled over to Ryoji and reached out to turn his head toward her.
"Look at me, properly."
Ryoji turned to look, confused.
In that instant, Freya's devastatingly beautiful face, overflowing with charm, entered his vision again. The sheer allure felt invasive, as if just looking would make him lose his ability to think or reason.
"Gah! Please spare my little brother!"
Ryoji instinctively stepped back, grimacing bitterly.
His head was spinning.
She had hit him with this move seven or eight times already today, every time leaving him totally overwhelmed.
"He's really unaffected...?" Freya was stunned for a moment.
Then, as she came back to herself, her eyes lit up with genuine interest.
Originally, she had planned to use her charm to capture Ryoji's heart, then drive a wedge between him and Loki, slowly alienating him from the Loki Familia, and finally pin the blame on some other Familia. That way, he'd have no choice but to join hers.
After all, Loki wasn't someone to mess with. Even back in heaven, that troublemaker had instigated conflict, sometimes even wars, between gods more than once. She was known as an Evil God, and Freya was very cautious around her.
But to think, her plan failed at the very first step.
Ryoji wasn't affected by her charm at all.
Mortals weren't supposed to be capable of this. Even among gods, only a handful of top-tier deities could resist her charm.
And because of that, Freya's interest only deepened.
"You really are fascinating! Her eyes sparkled with intense curiosity, like she had found an amusing toy.
"Even gods fall for my charm, and yet you, a pervert, can resist it... fufufu, you're making me want you more and more!"
She looked at him like he was a toy she found amusing, but her eyes also held a strong emotion, making it unclear whether she wanted a plaything or a lover.
"Wait a moment, are you saying you actually have a charm-type Skill?"
Freya had said it so bluntly that Ryoji finally caught on.
Damn, so I've been treating a charm Skill like it was some kind of kinky roleplay.
Awkward.
"What's so strange about that? Could it be... you don't have one?"
Freya picked up her golden-stitched formal dress from the floor as she spoke, completely unconcerned.
"No Way?"
"Nope."
"...Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"How could that be?"
Freya couldn't help but show a confused expression.
"With charm like yours, almost on par with mine, it's impossible that you don't know how to use charm. Could it be you've never tapped into that kind of power?"
"That counts as power?"
Ryoji found it unbelievable.
Wasn't "charm" just about looking good?
Since when did looking good become a kind of ability?
…Oh. Well, maybe the ability to live off a sugar mommy does depend on being good-looking.
"Ah, I get it now."
Freya slipped into her elegant golden dress, every move so graceful and captivating that Ryoji couldn't help but avert his gaze again.
"Looks like you haven't realized your natural talent in that area yet."
The sky gradually darkened.
Along the roadside, the cylindrical magic stone lamps began to light up. Hotels, casinos, and other businesses opened one by one. Adventurers returned from the Dungeon and started flocking to these places to seek pleasure and fun.
"What kind of natural talent are you talking about?"
The two of them had checked out of the inn and were now walking side by side on the streets.
At that moment, though both had cloaks wrapped tightly around their bodies, Ryoji noticed something surprising: every passerby who glanced at Goddess Freya would involuntarily hold their breath, their faces turning entranced.
Even though she wasn't showing her face, just the small glimpse of skin beneath her cloak was enough to cause traffic disturbances around them.
"That's what I mean."
Freya drew her cloak tighter, hiding all exposed skin beneath the black fabric. Immediately, the passersby around them revealed expressions of disappointment and regret.
Ryoji looked faintly thoughtful.
"You're saying I have this kind of natural charm, too?"
"Of course. I already told you, your charm is no less than mine. To deny you would be to deny myself."
Freya's tone was one of absolute certainty.
"You may not have noticed it, but you should've had similar experiences in the past. Like, just smiling a little at someone would be enough to make them do whatever you ask. That's already proof of your natural charm talent."
Ryoji fell silent.
Since his rebirth, he had rarely interacted with others. In his early life, he had spent all his time in intensive care. After entering Hagun Academy, he only dealt with a handful of people. So he never realized such a thing.
So charm… really counts as an ability?
"If I said I could help you master that natural talent, but you'd have to switch from Loki Familia to mine, what would you choose?"
Freya kept walking.
But her words were laced with subtle temptation.
"Beauty is an invisible kind of power."
Before Ryoji could even respond, Freya continued:
"Children of the Lower World always chase after big muscles or flashy Magic. But they don't realize, some powers are far more inescapable than either. For me, it doesn't matter whether my opponent is strong or weak. As long as I offer them love, no one can stand upright and speak before me."
Charm could corrupt the mind, break cognition, rewrite memory, completely destroying a person from the mental and energetic level. No swords or spears required, just a simple smile could do the trick.
As the old saying goes:
"The beauty of a sixteen-year-old girl can melt a man's resolve; with just a sword at her waist, she cuts down fools. Though no heads roll, she leaves their very marrow dry."
"But I refuse."
Ryoji spoke at last.
(End of Chapter)
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