Do you know the author H.P. Lovecraft?
Well, even if you don’t, you’ve probably heard of Cthulhu, Nyarlathotep, and the Great Blind Father if you’ve ever read genre novels.
Those who know about Lovecraft also know he has his share of issues, but even they can’t deny his achievements.
Cosmic Horror.
A genre aimed at modern mythology that focuses on the fear of mere mortals being toyed with by colossal and powerful transcendental beings.
And right now, Y.N. Jonah (yo-na-yo-na) was feeling a similar fear.
“Actually, we were all playthings of the Goddess…!”
“Can a Saint say such things?”
Ellie shook her head in disbelief.
But I’m serious. I’m so serious that I was ready to use my newly acquired powers on Ellie first.
“Ugh!”
Not only could I move precisely, but I felt like a third party peering into my own face from the air.
With a thoroughly calculated wink, I captured Ellie’s sanity.
Wink.
“…What are you doing, Jonah?”
“What…!”
Not working…?
No matter how low the rank, it’s still power! There shouldn’t be no effect!
For a moment, I tilted my head in disbelief. My expression, perceived through my extended senses, was flawless.
…Then the problem must be impact, right?
Until now, I’d been making pretty eyes at Ellie when begging her to make late-night snacks, or when I’d woken up at night and didn’t want to bother with the lights, I’m using divine power to make light literally shoot from my eyes.
Now I decided to mix that with a seductive wink. The radiant eyes are a 2-star power, so combined they would be 3-star…!
There’s no way even Ellie could resist this overwhelming hypnotic appeal!
Blink, blink.
“Hmm? You want meat from the morning? Is there any leftover?”
Tilting her head, Ellie paused her cleaning to rummage through the fridge.
Still no effect…? I could have sworn the radiant eyes worked when I first got them.
Could it be that I’ve become a delusional person thinking I’ve gained powers? Perhaps this is all the Goddess of Love’s scheme to push all women but her away from me.
…But even if that’s the case, what can I do?
I just wasted 150 gold on a gacha bomb with not a single 4-star and, without realizing, I’m being modified by the Goddess’s preferences as a pathetic mortal!
“Hmm?”
But wait, I’m the original author, right? Even if I only wrote the settings, all the big ideas come from me!
And yet here I am, being toyed with by the Goddess I carefully crafted…
“This is totally like a fallen noble….”
Since realizing I’ve been customized, I’ve been flustered, but this time I was truly startled.
The Goddess of Love doesn’t have some weird taste, right? She doesn’t actually want to fall into eternal sleep with my companions, does she?
A wave of anxiety washed over me. Sure, I set an alarm for an hour to take a break after getting tired, and I was fidgeting just like I did when waking up the next morning.
Ellie returned with a large chunk of meat, her expression radiating confidence, and as soon as I saw her, all my distracting thoughts disappeared.
“Wow! I completely forgot about this. I originally ordered it to celebrate conquering the second floor, but, well, various things happened.”
“…….”
“In order to eat properly, I need some time to prepare, so it’s tough for now, but we should gather the others later and eat together. …Of course, a few pieces could be grilled up now, if that’s okay. How about we have this for breakfast?”
Her smile was flawless. Only then did I realize why Ellie wasn’t affected by my little powers.
Sure, I could have developed some resistance after being toyed… I mean, after the friendly gestures several times, but it’s simply because Ellie is already so deeply infatuated with me that she can’t fall any further.
That’s why my powers aren’t working well. With max affection, what’s the point of charm spells?
Nodding with a slightly softened heart.
“I’m fine with anything! If I can eat sitting on Ellie’s lap!”
“Uh, uh…?”
Ellie looked even more flustered than when I used my power.
This morning, I enjoyed my meal by using Ellie’s thigh as a cushion and her chest as a headrest.
*
It wasn’t a day to enter the labyrinth. Sure, I felt a little drained, but we just dealt with a disaster.
Lydia managed to bring down the enemy, yet she felt uneasy about me being ambushed by the Prime Doppelganger, so she opted to stay at the guild’s training ground today.
Benny was going to study a few samples he obtained from the hidden workshop with the seal and prosthetic arm. He also planned to research a new manufacturing method before selling it to the guild.
Karen was probably quietly digging up information from the Pope in the temple by now.
…Why does it feel like everyone is absorbed in matters that would take more than a day rather than wrapping things up at night?
It’s one thing for Karen, but can I take Lydia and Benny into the labyrinth tomorrow? Are they not tired because they’re higher-ranked adventurers?
I pondered this while stretching my arms, internally tilting my head.
“Okay then.”
Well, they’ll manage just fine. They’re stronger and more experienced adventurers than I am.
Anyway, the important thing is that I’m free today, so I’ll drop by Eden to catch up with Eve.
It’s been quite a while since Lemon and Apple came to say hello. I can’t just go empty-handed, so I decided to bring a small gift.
As an elf who’s lived long, I’m well-acquainted with tea varieties, and since I even grow a few tea leaves at the shop, some snacks should be fine.
With that in mind, I prepared small cakes, bread, and cookies from a nearby dessert shop and opened the door to Eden.
Click.
I was about to open it.
“Huh?”
The door was firmly shut for some reason. Wondering if they weren’t open today, I inspected the door closely.
There was no sign saying it was closed, nor was it outside the business hours.
With a tinge of hope, I leaned closer to listen, but I couldn’t hear a thing from inside.
It was as if it had been magically sealed off.
After preparing a snack, I’d be turned away like this?
I called out just in case, thinking that maybe they were lounging around inside.
Knock knock knock.
“Eve? Are you there? I brought some snacks to hang out with.”
No response from inside. To think that after the Cradle Association incident, Eve said she got busier.
Maybe she had stepped out for work.
Nodding to myself, I turned around, my steps heavy with the unwrapped snacks when suddenly—
Click! Creak…
I turned around at the sound of the door opening to find Eve, slightly disheveled, standing there.
“Oh, oh my! Jonah! You’re here? It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has! But… were you sleeping?”
With one shoulder drooping, the clothes slightly askew, a faint drool mark by her mouth, and her hair looking tousled—no one could mistake her for someone who had just woken up.
Was it true? After a brief start, Eve awkwardly tidied her hair and nodded.
“Ahaha. I’ve been a bit tired lately, so I thought I’d take a short break…”
“Mm-mm. I understand. I have my fair share of those times too.”
“You too, Jonah?!”
“Of course! I’m human, so when I’m tired, I take naps and such!”
“Ah, I mean naps! Yes, I was aware of that.”
I didn’t know which part surprised her, but Eve showed a suspicious reaction.
However, it’s only natural that Eve seems suspicious, as it’s mentioned in the historical records of Goguryeo.
……But still younger than a watermelon in Goguryeo, right?
For a moment, lost in memories of my school days and wondering when Goguryeo fell, my gaze fell on the snack package in my hand.
“Ah… if you’re tired, should I come back later? I brought this to share, but since I bought it already, why don’t you keep it?”
“Of course not! Just wash my face, and it’ll be fine! Please, come in!”
Eve jumped at my words and opened the shop door wide.
As she gestured for me to come inside with a smile, I replied with a brief smile of my own and stepped in.
The shop interior had slightly changed its offerings, but overall everything remained the same.
As I placed the snack package on the reception table, Eve sat down without uttering a word, awkwardly smiling.
“Well then, I’ll just go wash my face for a bit.”
“Since it’s your shop, feel free to take your time.”
Wondering why she was so uneasy, I said that and momentarily set everything up.
Suddenly, I caught a whiff of a scent brushing against my nose.
A sweet and sour aroma that smelled like a mix of flowers and fruits.
It was a scent I hadn’t been able to smell before. Did she light some scented candle or something while tired? Or maybe she was growing aromatic plants?
Intrigued by the pleasant aroma, I began to search for its source.
With various enhanced senses, I had no problem pinpointing the direction and made a note to ask for one later.
Hehe, I smiled while I opened the door to the fragrant room.
…But what lay within completely threw my expectations out the window.
A pink-haired male doll drenched in an unknown liquid (small and cute), cut-out articles about me plastered everywhere.
Cups that I thought had gone missing for some time, believed to be broken by Lemon and Apple, were preserved with a display spell along with their date.
And on the floor was a thick, sticky substance that didn’t resemble water at all.
…Now that I think about it, Lemon and Apple had mentioned that Eve had changed since they hadn’t seen me.
I calmly closed the door, trying not to make any noise.
All that was left was to return to my seat as if nothing had happened…
Thunk.
Something soft bumped into the back of my head as I took a step back.
Curious, I turned to find Eve, with her not-so-elf-like ample chest blocking my escape route.
Frozen in place like a platypus meeting a crocodile, I faced the wicked grin on Eve’s face.
“Oh dear. It seems you’ve seen something you shouldn’t have.”
Narrowed eyes. A playful tone. And a wicked, elongated smile.
The moment I saw Eve’s signature black smile, I realized I had stepped right into the mouth of a beast!
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