Opening his eyes, Enrico looked around at a place completely different from where he had been. It was an entirely white space, where nothing existed except for a small wooden house in the distance. Standing up, he realized he had returned to his normal appearance, with his golden hair and golden eyes.
'System, are you there?'
[I'm here. Thank goodness you're back.]
'Did I die?'
[No. Apparently, Leon's body fell into a coma and, somehow, your soul returned to your original body.]
Enrico looked at his own hands, opening and closing them as he felt every movement. He had missed having a body that could control his emotions much better.
'If I fell into a coma, does that mean I failed?'
[No. At least I don't think so, because Leon didn't die. Besides, I saw that God we met looking at you through the window from time to time.]
Looking toward the wooden house, Enrico saw the God of that world waving at him. Letting out a soft sigh, he walked over to the house, opened the door, and approached the table where the one who possessed immense power over the world was sitting.
"I'm sorry about that idiot. He likes to amuse himself, and to be honest, I don't like him very much either."
"I know. He really doesn't seem like someone pleasant to be around."
A cup of tea appeared in front of him, identical to the one the God was holding at that moment. With a small sigh, Enrico picked it up and began drinking.
"Your body fell into a coma, but it wasn't exactly because of the battle."
His eyes met the God's once more. The being before him was someone truly kind, who deeply loved his own world. He was very different from the other gods he knew from the original story. Those gods simply created worlds and then abandoned them to create others or merely tried to improve their own results. This God only wanted to see his world grow, without interfering directly.
At first glance, that seemed contradictory. If he loved that world so much, why didn't he constantly interfere whenever it was in danger?
The answer was simple. Just like the evil gods, any God needed a reason to set foot in that world or a vessel capable of enduring his power. When a God descended into the world, catastrophes could occur even if that was never his intention. That was why there had to be a truly important reason. The Supreme God, creator of all things, had imposed that rule upon every god. It was an absolute law, upheld by a power so great that no one dared challenge it.
"So... why am I in a coma?"
"Because I was the one who brought you here."
Now everything made much more sense. There was no way Leon's body had fallen into a coma simply because of that battle. Even though it had been a defeat that could only be described as a massacre, in the original story Leon was known by readers precisely because he was extremely difficult to kill or seriously injure.
"Then why did you bring me here? It must be something important, right?"
"Yes. I couldn't talk to you before, but now that Magnus caused all that chaos, I was finally able to bring you here."
Hearing that man's name, Enrico's expression became slightly irritated. Most likely, Isolde and Richard had died by now. If he was already irritated now, he could only imagine how he would feel once he returned to Leon's body. The two of them were, honestly, good people and didn't deserve that fate. The God took another sip of tea before continuing.
"The reason I brought you here was for two reasons. The first is that I allowed a second person to enter my world."
"Wait... are you serious?"
"Yes. I don't usually lie."
The surprise on Enrico's face was unavoidable. If that God had allowed another person to enter that world, then there was a possibility it was the villainess from the original story. If it really was her, he would have to kill her immediately. He would need to find her before it was too late. Even so, he remained as calm as possible. He needed confirmation before taking action.
"Who did you bring?"
"Apparently, one of your companions."
All the tension in Enrico's body suddenly disappeared, replaced by confusion. One of his companions?
"You brought... could you please tell me the name?"
"A girl named Lira Xuefeng. I noticed she was following you, so I had an idea and made a deal with her to help you when the time came."
[Wait... this God brought that crazy woman?]
Both Enrico and the System broke into a slight sweat as they remembered the girl who called herself his rival. It had been a long time since he had seen her, and discovering that she had been watching him all this time could mean many things. Perhaps she had even followed Enrico throughout the elf war, watching his growth and becoming more and more excited. She was exactly that kind of person.
'I guess, in a way, that's actually good news.'
[I think you're right, because honestly, I don't want to see that bitch villainess's face.]
'Watch your mouth. Even if I agree, let's keep some manners.'
[I'll only have manners with that woman when she's burning in hell.]
Turning his attention back to the God, Enrico felt a certain sense of relief. Fortunately, he hadn't brought the villainess from the original story. Instead, he had brought a lunatic... but a lunatic Enrico could control to some extent and who could be of great help in that world.
"Where is she?"
"Well, I don't like revealing things so easily, but you've already met her in the body she took over."
"I've already met her?"
He would definitely remember if that had happened. Unless that agreement included keeping her identity secret, since the God himself had said she would help him when the time was right. Thinking a little more, he remembered someone who certainly fit the description. His eyes returned to the God.
"I've already fought her?"
"My... you catch on quickly."
Bringing a hand to his forehead, he remembered the man he had fought at the kingdom's border. During the battle, that man had shown a few reactions that made Enrico feel as though he knew him from somewhere. Looking at it that way, it was great news. Now he had a spy inside the enemy kingdom.
"What was the second reason?"
"Well... I've been thinking, and I decided to let you choose three more people to enter the dungeon and help you."
As the God took another sip of tea, maintaining a neutral expression after revealing that, Enrico's eyes widened slightly. Looking at that God, he couldn't help but think that he might be the best among them all.
'I knew he was the best God.'
[Don't exaggerate.]