— — — — — —
The room wasn't very big.
Shiroyasha stood in front of clusters of golden light particles. With her back to Ryo, she reminded him, "In a moment, lie down in the center of Alpha, close your eyes. I'll handle the ritual."
Ryo didn't move right away. He looked at the back of her head and hesitated. "Anything I should be aware of?"
Even he couldn't help being a little tense. Meeting the two-digit goddess who presides over a full authority domain wasn't something you do with a casual heart.
Unlike Shiroyasha, whose personality and quirks he had at least some grasp on, he knew absolutely nothing about the Twin Goddesses.
Information about them was guarded with iron walls. Hardly anyone knew the truth of the two-digit beings.
Most in Little Garden, including the gods, only knew this much: the two-digit existences numbered seventeen, had stripped away all authority to reach the apex of divinity, transcending gods themselves, embodying truth.
Beyond that, who they actually were, what abilities they had, what their personalities were—completely unknown.
In fact, aside from Ryo, who had read the novel before coming to Little Garden and knew a few hints, no one under three digits dared to speak of them with certainty.
They used terms like "suspected."
For example: "That Lord of that Pantheon is suspected to be among the Seventeen."
It sounded like superstition, but it showed just how classified information on the two-digit beings really was.
Even Ryo only had rough guesses. He just knew a few of the people who might fall into that category.
"Precautions, huh…" Shiroyasha thought for a moment, then said, "It's fine. The Boss actually has a good temper. As long as you don't act like an idiot, you should be okay."
That was basically useless advice… Ryo muttered internally, feeling a bit stupid for being this on edge.
You mess around outside long enough, sooner or later you face divine judgment.
He let out a short laugh, stepped forward, lay down at the center of the golden lights, and closed his eyes.
Shiroyasha gave a slight nod and began the ritual.
He caught faint sandalwood mixed with a floral scent. Beside his ear rose Shiroyasha's indistinct whispering, words blurred like an old chant.
She seemed to be praying. Then his consciousness slipped into a half-dream state.
When his "sight" returned, he found himself standing on a vast land of pure white. Pale flowers like carved ice bloomed around his feet.
Before he could take everything in, a figure appeared from the distance.
She wore an off-shoulder white dress, its hem fluttering as she walked—elegant, ethereal, untouchable.
Ryo looked up but couldn't discern her face. He only knew instinctively—this was a woman.
"Nice to meet you."
Her voice was gentle, making it impossible to feel any hostility.
Hearing it, Ryo moved his right hand over his heart and bowed. "I greet you, Your Majesty Alpha."
"You've got the wrong person." The woman in white let out a soft laugh.
Without missing a beat, Ryo responded, face steady, "My apologies. I greet you, Your Majesty Omega."
Internally, he roasted Shiroyasha. 'Seriously? You could've at least told me which one I was meeting.'
"Shiro-chan is always like that. Thoughtless, making decisions based on feelings alone," Omega murmured with a fond sigh.
Ryo kept his face perfectly composed, acting like he heard nothing.
So Shiroyasha's nickname is Shiro-chan in their mouths? Cute name… shame both Omega and the Shiroyasha are monsters. If I make fun of that, I might actually die on the spot.
After that quiet sigh, Ryo clearly felt Omega's gaze settle on him.
"In her prayer, Shiro-chan told me everything."
Omega's voice held a quiet amusement. "You're just as good at causing trouble as she is."
"…Huh?" Ryo's face froze.
So after all the chaos he caused, that's how she sees it—just another troublemaker like Shiroyasha?
And Shiroyasha dares say she isn't Little Garden's biggest walking problem?!
Omega let out a soft breath. "Just as you said, human history is shifting in secret."
"There's intervention from my elder sister, from the Buddhist side, and approval from the Heavenly Court's representative. But those unhappy with this… far outnumber us."
Ryo's expression stiffened. He didn't even know what to say.
So they're involved too?
The Twin Goddesses, the Buddhists, and the Heavenly Court have tacitly allowed human history to shift, letting gods fight over the birth of incomplete divine identities?
And the rest of the two-digit beings are against it?
Okay… this is getting huge.
He hesitated, then asked, "For the gods to start fighting each other again just to climb higher… is that really good?"
"You're worried about those little ones?" Omega sounded amused.
Ryo's lips twitched before he let out a quiet sigh. "You know me. I'm only worried about myself."
He never claimed to be a good person. He did all this—observing worlds, collecting resources—for his own advancement.
If Little Garden had a stable, complete path of ascension for humans, he probably would've taken it.
But reality is harsh. The human route ends at four digits.
Beyond that, if you wanted to rise, you had to become a god of faith. That road was long monopolized. It was blocked on all sides.
Human history no longer had space to birth new gods. You could only inherit old thrones.
But all those divine positions were already held firmly in the hands of god lines.
Bluntly put, the hierarchy was too rigid. Without his forum and cosmos, Ryo believed he'd be stuck at four digits forever.
So he gambled. He observed world after world, harvesting fuel for his ascension.
Along the way, gods fight gods… he knew he had a hand in it, but in his eyes, that didn't make him wrong.
Everyone acts for themselves. So everyone is justified.
Thinking that, his heart settled. He even smiled and joked, "Honestly, I'm just worried I'll wake up one morning tied to a pyre."
"You're very honest."
Omega seemed to smile, though her face remained indistinct. "Your concealment is flawless. Even I can't see through it. So theoretically, you're safe."
Ryo, still cautious, asked, "Then… should I make preparations to defend myself?"
Omega replied, her tone suddenly meaningful. "For now, what you need to be wary of isn't the gods. It's the group that's about to be born in large numbers."
"…???" Ryo frowned. A group? Who?
"Oh, according to the newly released information, they seem to be called… Godslayers, the Campiones."
.
.
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