CH 12

[For Now, How About a Cooperation?]

Everyone, do you know?

In fact, when stones piled up on the riverside of the Netherworld, a monster called ‘Kawara Oni(lit. dry river bed demon)’ will appear and come to demolish the stones.

As such, you can use the piled-up stones as a lure, get behind the demon’s defenseless back, and after that you just have to end it with a back stab; in this way, you can raise your level safely, you know?

“Can’t you obediently repent?”

“Even if you pray, it won’t raise your faith level, you know. That is why I give priority to my worldly interest (leveling).”

A long time ago, I thought that if I praised all the gods I knew, I could gain the experience value of their faith skills at once, so I tried it, but it ended up as a complete waste of time.(TN: I think he’s saying that different gods will give you different skills.)

Even though I made my own avant-garde all-divinity-mixed-type idol, what a terrible story. Well, it wasn’t completely meaningless because it was bought by a passing artist.

Now then, everyone is in a good mood, I hope. This is the leveling lover, Sakurai Tōru.

Right now, I’m in the additional stage of the downloadable content, ‘Netherworld’, which is a great entertainment facility where the dead gather.

In the original work’s story, the soul of the protagonist who was injured and became unconscious due to the battle with a demonkin in the middle stage of the story gets lost, and with the additional heroine who lives here, he climbs the ‘tower’ connected to the world of the living and succeeds in reviving – This is a place where such a story is spun.

If you’re asking why I’m in such a place, it’s mostly because I was entangled with Higaki Ao (mental shitty bitch) who is currently next to me and got myself killed, but I never thought that the world of after death would be implemented.

“By the way, to think that Higaki-san would be killed by a delayed attack when she got happy after killing her opponent.”

“Humph.”

“Ahhhhh!!! My pile of stone that I piled up to kill the demons collapsed, ahhhhh!!!”

“You sure are extremely disrespectful to life, aren’t you?”

Dammit, even though I tried to talk constructively because it was inevitable, this bitch! This is why people who have a fetish for old men is the worst!!

To begin with, what’s with that ninth fire snake!! There was nothing like that in the game era! Unfair!! Cowardly!! Teach it to mee!!! Stupidd!!!

“So? First Disciple-dono who was turned into a charcoal and splendidly became a stepping stone for my growth – what did you try to say?”

“I think you should stop dissing people every single time you speak, you know?”

“Look who’s talking, how about you look at yourself in the mirror? Just tell me the requirements already.”

“There is a way to revive to the real world, but it’s troublesome to do alone, so let’s join hands for a while.”

I’ll probably never forget the appearance of this woman who finally gave her consent with a terribly reluctant face and croaky voice after mulling over it for nearly an hour.

Thus, Higaki and I leave the riverside and head for the ice castle ‘Niflheim’ where the lord of the Netherworld lives.

We who came to ‘Niflheim’ outside business hours were caught by the guards and thrown into the reflection room.

“For the time being, we were able to secure a safe lodging.”

“It’s a place that can keep out the rain, but it being a ‘cage’ ruin everything.”

It can’t be helped, because we intruded outside business hours.

It’s just a cage y’know, all humans are sinner, so don’t mind the small detail. Besides, we are also murderers, so it suits us, isn’t it? Though I insist that in my case, it was a legitimate self-defense.

By the way, the ice castle Niflheim is open from 9:30 in the morning to 17:30 in the evening. If we take a rest from now on, we should be able to line up in the first line in the morning. This is apparently a perfect time schedule!

There are also business hours at other facilities. That’s why they were treated as an entertainment facility by the users. What the hell the is Netherworld, I wonder…?

“Haah, fine. For the time being, if you have any idea or plan……………… I’ll follow you.”

“You don’t have to put up such a reluctant face.”

“I don’t like what I don’t like. So? What are we going to do in Niflheim?”

“Get a point card… wait, drop your sword and listen. Or rather, why is your weapon not confiscated?”

“Since I’ll be sleeping in the same room together with a man, I want something to protect myself – or so I ‘politely’ asked them, and they returned it.”

She took full advantage of women’s privileges, huh. And, why did she emphasize ‘politely’?

But well, if I don’t explain it properly, this person won’t be convinced.

If I want to set up a common front with her, albeit temporarily, I must share the information.

Let’s explain according to the original work.

First of all, the ‘Netherworld’ in this world is a ‘rehabilitation facility’ where the dead who have strong regrets in the world of the living gather.

According to what was explained to the protagonist in the game, for various reasons, souls that hold regrets are impure, and if they enter reincarnation as is, they will put a load on the system that makes up the soul cycle.

Each one is a small stain, but if left unattended, the soul newly sent out to this world will be weakened, and it seems that even the body will be dragged and weakened.

If the body becomes weak, the cycle of death and reincarnation will be accelerated, and the upper limit of the life span of that species will be reduced. It will lead to the death of the species, which is inconvenient for gods who gain faith not only from humans but also from a wide variety of species to establish their existence.

Therefore, the god of the Netherworld ‘Anubis’ who manages the soul of mankind has created a place to clean the soul in advance in order to solve this situation. That is the ‘Underworld’.

I understand that incorporating the concept of cycle of transmigration(Buddhist) into Niflheim(Norse mythology) with an Egyptian god as its administrator is something retort-worthy, but I would like you to accept it as such.

“I see. So, how does the cleansing of the soul relate with our revival?”

“Soul’s impurity is basically ‘regrets’. So, Anubis thought that eliminating the ‘regrets’ would remove the impurity.”

“It is reasonable, but… can that be true?”

Her question is plausible.

If this is simply to prepare the appropriate pleasure for the regrets, humankind will continue to pursue it endlessly, and as a result, the regrets will be further enlarged.

“I wonder about that, but there’s this tower that you can see outside the window. C’mon, get on.”

“Ah, ahhh…… I see, it’s that, huh.”

Having got on my back, who is on all fours, Higaki looks at the outside through the small window fitted with iron bars and mutters as if she understood.

I’m sure she can see a huge tower extending to the heavens beyond her line of sight.

“That ‘tower’ collects people’s regrets and creates divine-make monsters. Anubis has created a system that cleans the souls’ impurities by having the deceased defeat those monsters and then reward them accordingly.”

“I see. With the reason of ‘cooperate with God by cutting off the regrets’, He have the deceased clean up the regrets for Him and give them reward so as to reduce his workload.”

“That’s the gist of it. You’re unexpectedly good at catching on to things.”

“The ‘unexpected’ part is unnecessary.”

While saying so, Higaki get off from my back and gently pat it to wipe off the dirt.

The fact that she could it so naturally meant that she is fundamentally a good person, but why the hell would she be so terribly twisted when it comes to things related to Uncle Bonus? Is this what they say that a woman’s heart and autumn weather are both fickle? No, it’s totally different, right…

“I’ve read it. The point card you were talking about is a record of how many monsters you have defeated in the ‘Tower’, and among the rewards for the accumulated results, there is the revival to the world of the living, isn’t it?”

“It’s as you said. So, first of all, we have to meet Anubis first thing in the morning and get the ‘Tokutoku Card(lit. virtue-virtue card)’ and permission to get into the ‘Tower’.”

“’Tokutoku Card’…”

“Please send your complaint about the naming to the gods(makers).”

Furthermore, in the original work story, points could also be accumulated by playing mini games at event facilities scattered around the ‘Netherworld’.

Just that, the increase of the point is at the level of as different as day and night when compared to the ‘Tower’; they are practically just places where you can take a break and get unique items. I might go if I feel like it, but I have no plan to go now.

“Thus, let’s go to sleep.”

“There is only one bed.”

“Who will use it other than you? Even if you think about it, there’s none though.”

I feel unwell because I couldn’t do leveling that much today. At times like this, I can only sleep and forget about various thing.

I lie down on a properly folded blanket and close my eyes.

Although I’m a little wary of the stirring sound of Higaki lying on the bed behind me, I slowly entrust myself to drowsiness.