"Thanks a lot!" Su Mo didn't expect to receive Gabriel's blessing this quickly, and he immediately expressed his gratitude.
"If you're really thankful, Senpai…" Gabriel's eyes lit up at his words and she grinned. "Then—how about we team up tonight?!" She was talking about gaming.
The online game Gabriel played was the same one Su Mo also logged into from time to time—they were friends in-game. However, because Su Mo typically kept a healthy lifestyle, they didn't often play together. Gabriel saw this as a rare opportunity and wanted to rope Su Mo in to help carry her through some content.
See, the allowance she received from Heaven was performance-based. The same went for the demons in the Netherworld. Angels had to perform good deeds, demons had to do bad ones, and based on their contributions, their living expenses were adjusted. Given Gabriel's behavior—which fell squarely into the "fallen" category—her funds had long since dried up. That's why she needed a part-time job in the first place.
And considering she only worked twice a week as a café waitress, her salary couldn't even begin to compare to Su Mo's. In-game, Su Mo relied on the power of grown-up finances (read: microtransactions). While his combat level wasn't god-tier, it was definitely in the top tier—making him the perfect carry for Gabriel, who played a support role.
"No problem, let's pull an all-nighter!" Su Mo agreed without hesitation. Staying up late might be unhealthy, but with his current physique, that was no longer something he needed to worry about. Sleep had long since become optional. The same went for Gabriel—as an angel, her divine nature meant she didn't need to concern herself with such trivial mortal needs. Hearing Su Mo agree, Gabriel was visibly overjoyed. Finally, she could go back and annihilate all those smug players who had mocked her! After saying goodbye to Gabriel, Su Mo drove home.
As he was about to head upstairs, he suddenly remembered he didn't have any ingredients left for dinner. Last night's fried rice was already finished, and the fridge was completely empty. The supermarket wasn't far, so he decided to walk. Su Mo wasn't the type to go out often, so whenever he did, he liked to stock up. By the time he finished shopping, it was already past 8 p.m., and the sky had gone dark. Carrying the groceries, he headed home on foot. But as he passed a nearby park, he suddenly noticed something was... off.
It was too quiet. Not just peaceful—unnaturally still. It was as if even the insects and snakes had fled the area. The few pedestrians he'd seen earlier had also completely vanished. Su Mo was no stranger to this kind of phenomenon. Whenever a particularly powerful being appeared, lesser lifeforms would instinctively stay away. Humans were no exception.
When a noisy crowd suddenly fell silent, or a bustling street inexplicably emptied—it was usually a sign. A warning. Humans in this world seemed to have an innate ability to avoid mysterious and dangerous events. On a subconscious level, they'd steer clear of anything that posed a threat. Su Mo didn't have that kind of instinct. But he was good at reading crowds. The moment he noticed something was off, he would usually adjust accordingly. However, ever since gaining his current level of power, that reflex had dulled. He didn't avoid situations like these anymore. And sure enough, he'd now stumbled into something strange.
With the strength he currently possessed, there was no need to flee—in fact, he was intrigued. His world was filled with all sorts of strange and mysterious forces. Before, he didn't have the strength to interact with them. But now that he did, how could he not be curious?
Who knew—maybe this anomaly, like Gabriel, might actually turn out to be something useful. With that thought in mind, Su Mo walked into the park, groceries still in hand. It was a small, quiet park, with very few play structures. The only thing abundant here was trees—the entire park seemed untouched by any formal landscaping or development.
After walking for quite a while, even climbing over a small hill, Su Mo finally arrived at the source of the anomaly. In front of him stood a colossal figure, its body as massive as a mountain, covered in shimmering green scales, and wings that looked like those of a bat. It was unmistakably a real dragon. And it was still alive. Sensing someone's approach, the mountainous dragon opened its eyes, a powerful and intimidating presence emanating from them.
"Impudent human, how did you get in here?" the dragon asked in a deep, majestic voice. But immediately after asking, it shook its head. "Never mind. The question is pointless anyway. In the end… I'm going to die regardless."
"To think the last thing I'd see before death is just a lowly human… how ridiculous."
Despite the bravado, the dragon's voice sounded weak and fading. Su Mo quickly noticed a sword lodged deep in the dragon's back, piercing clean through. Blood was seeping continuously from the wound around the blade—it was clear the injury was severe. The sword itself seemed to be some kind of dragonslaying weapon. Even if the wound wasn't fatal on its own, the blade's properties ensured the dragon would keep bleeding until it died.
"A green dragon, at night… this feels familiar somehow…" Staring at the scene, Su Mo couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen something like this before. Ignoring the dragon's wary gaze, he leapt directly onto its back and reached for the hilt of the sword.
"Huh? What are you doing?" the dragon asked, startled. Seeing Su Mo grab the sword, the dragon instinctively tried to stop him. "A mere human dares touch a divine blade? You'll go mad from the strain!"
Whether it was meant as a warning or a genuine concern, Su Mo didn't care. This so-called divine sword might affect ordinary people—but Su Mo was a Godslayer. He had no reverence, no fear of the divine. More importantly, with his current strength, an unclaimed god-weapon couldn't harm him. Gripping the sword, Su Mo gave it a simple tug—and effortlessly pulled it out.
"…???" The dragon was stunned. This human had just defied the will of the gods?
"You… you don't have even the slightest bit of faith in the divine?!"
"None. Not even a shred," Su Mo replied bluntly.
Still holding the sword, he jumped down from the dragon's back. He wasn't expecting to need a weapon in this world, but since a powerful artifact had practically fallen into his lap, he saw no reason not to take it. At that moment, the dragon finally realized what had happened—the divine sword was gone. That meant… it wasn't going to die anymore?
"T-Thank you!" Moments ago, it had spoken with intimidating force. Now, the mighty dragon had lowered its voice and humbly expressed gratitude.
"If not for you… I might have really died here."
Su Mo waved it off casually. "No big deal."
"I'm Su Mo. What's your name?" He wanted to confirm whether this dragon was who he thought it might be.
"My name is Tohru," the dragon responded without hesitation.
Su Mo's eyes lit up instantly. A dragon named Tohru, injured like this… wasn't this the same Tohru from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid? To think even that series was part of his strange, crossover-riddled world.
"So, Tohru… what are you planning to do now?" Su Mo started his recruitment pitch, trying to lure the dragon back to his home.
"I… lost the fight. I'm all alone now," Tohru replied, her voice laced with sadness.
"Well, I live alone too," Su Mo offered casually. "And I just so happen to need a maid. Would you be interested?"
"You're… inviting me?" the dragon asked, eyes wide in disbelief. Then her face brightened in pure joy. A deep crimson magic circle appeared in front of her, flashing with light. The massive dragon's form vanished—and in its place stood a girl with golden-orange hair, dragon horns on her head, a long tail trailing behind her, and a tattered cloak barely covering her petite frame.
"Really?! You're really inviting me to live with you?!" Her eyes shimmered, filled with tears of happiness.
"Of course I am," Su Mo nodded. "I was just on my way home—wanna come?" As a dragon, Tohru wasn't just powerful—she was also a master of magic. The perfect addition for guarding the house. And with her came the possibility of Kanna-chan too. With a deal this good, Su Mo wasn't about to pass it up.
"Mm!" Tohru exclaimed, hugging Su Mo tightly. She had thought she'd die alone in some forgotten corner of the world. Yet somehow, she had found a place to belong. To Tohru, this felt like a dream. After bringing her home, Su Mo didn't ask her to help right away. He knew she lacked common sense, so he let her settle in first. After dinner, he sent the dragon maid to organize her new room, while he himself entered the Mist Space.