Chapter: 449
The sweet chirping of birds jolted me awake, and I realized I was lying in the forest.
Ah right, I was sucked into Ganshu’s scroll, wasn’t I?
Recalling what had happened, I stretched my limbs, ready to assess my condition.
Despite having passed out once, I felt remarkably recovered compared to my last encounter with the evil god of fire.
The difference was fundamental.
Given that, I shouldn’t have any issues moving or even fighting—at least as long as I don’t need to go all out.
But hey, that won’t be necessary here.
Next up, my gear. Armor? Check. Shield? Check. Mace? Uh-oh, that’s missing.
Guess it’s a given since Grandpa’s over there.
Feeling a bit disappointed, I pulled out a new mace from my inventory and took in the scenery of the forest around me.
I had a good idea of where I was now. With this location, I could follow the regular route without much trouble.
But thinking about that brat’s face makes me want to give them a good scare.
I want to shout, “Don’t mess up my trial!” or something equally dramatic.
Judging by my current specs, I smiled and concluded that it was totally doable.
Even by game standards, I was overpowered.
There’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to do this.
Finishing my thoughts, I immediately set my feet in motion.
Ganshu’s trial is about determining whether the participant qualifies to check history.
There are three main evaluations: first, they must possess skills worthy of being inscribed in history.
Without such skills, it’s impossible to confirm any real history.
Secondly, they must be good people. Only those who won’t abuse the recorded history are worthy of checking it.
Finally, curiosity. Only those who are determined to see what’s happening in the world can earn Ganshu’s recognition.
In essence, Ganshu’s trial throws people into a tiny world to assess these traits through their actions.
If you know what actions yield what evaluations, you could completely shatter what Ganshu had in mind from the beginning.
In games, you could pass like this without any fuss, but I wondered how it would play out in reality.
Considering the brat’s obnoxious personality, I doubt they’d let me slide.
Bounding through the forest, I kept my eyes on the plants, animals, and inscriptions for the bare minimum curiosity points.
Then, a loud thunk echoed from afar, and without a second thought, I dashed toward the sound.
The horrible stench of decay filled the air.
A noxious vibe made my instincts scream in denial.
Sounds of bugs crawling came forth, and most alarmingly, a sinister energy was emanating from where that noise originated.
Ignoring the goosebumps and pressing onward, I arrived at a scene that was once filled with fairies.
Born from nature, these beings once shared its stories, bringing joy and laughter.
But now, twisted into grotesque monsters, they spread screams instead.
“Gah! Ha! Heh!”
Before me lay a quivering man who had fallen backward, clutching his axe and paralyzed with fear, seemingly unaware of the concept of escape.
If left like this, the fairy would suck out every thought from his head—literally.
Feeling sick just thinking of it, I took a deep breath and unleashed my divine aura.
“Whoa!♡ That’s one nasty sight!♡ So gross!♡”
Attracted by my remark, the once fairy dashed toward me, letting out a near-screaming howl while I lifted my shield.
Fighting a foe without a shred of reasoning is a piece of cake.
That means they’ll move in ways I can easily predict.
Deflecting its claws, I pushed inside and slammed down with my mace infused with divinity.
I thought about being ready in case it didn’t go down in one hit, but that concern was rendered unnecessary.
Its head shattered like dust, scattered across the ground.
The man, previously attacked by the fairy, stared at me in disbelief.
Noticing his dumbfounded face, I couldn’t help but grin widely.
“What’s wrong?♡ Did you wet yourself?♡ Hahaha, what a pathetic coward you are!♡”
“…Huh?”
“If you have the strength to talk, how about running home?♡ That stench is unbelievable!♡ Is an ugly uncle like you in need of someone to walk you home?♡”
“Of course not! I just—”
“Then get lost!♡ Your smell is downright horrendous!♡”
As I watched the man’s face flush red and dart away, I cast a buff on him and moved toward my next objective.
There was still a lot to do.
*
Ganshu’s trials involve throwing someone into the recorded histories he scripted to evaluate them.
Designed with utmost care, the trials assess whether someone is worthy to check history based on their actions, each given a meaningful score.
So far, Ganshu had never doubted these trials.
The results generally aligned with the conclusions Ganshu had come to over time.
But today, when Lucy Alrn appeared before him, for the first time, Ganshu doubted his trials.
An arrogant and disrespectful little brat.
Someone far too obnoxious to brush off with a laugh.
Yet despite her attitude, her past was undeniably noble and honorable, leaving no room for doubt.
It made it readily apparent as to why the god chose her.
Ganshu had never imagined that Lucy wouldn’t surpass his trial.
She already possessed the qualifications in spades.
After all, the fact that he barked first about wanting to write the tale of Lucy confirmed her qualifications.
If Lucy lacked that capability, Ganshu would not have approached her with such fiery eyes.
Had Lucy been properly equipped to face Ganshu, he would have just slacked off and granted her desires without much fuss.
Whatever Lucy displayed in the trials shouldn’t come as a surprise.
“…How?”
Right now, what she showed was beyond normal.
Lucy Alrn moved as if she knew every score from Ganshu’s trials.
Consciously racking up points, she navigated the trial with perfect precision.
What stunned him even more was the fact that she seemed to foresee everything that transpired within his trial.
What was happening in the forest, how to resolve it, and what steps to take afterward—all her actions pointed to clear solutions.
“Wow. I’ve never seen you so flustered, Ganshu.”
Following Lucy’s triumphant laugh, Ganshu raised his head, only to see Ruel’s smirk and frown in response.
“So you expected this, huh?”
“Well, I figured Ganshu would have some inkling of what Lucy was capable of if you’d been watching her, right?”
“But that’s earthly affairs!”
The antics Lucy pulled in the mortal realm were understandable.
After all, there’s a great god backing her, after all.
But here?
Even gods like Ganshu couldn’t intervene in the trials taking place in his realm.
Especially not when everything he slaved over was at stake.
“To think that’s not due to divine aid but Lucy Alrn’s talent alone.”
Ganshu frowned and shifted his gaze back to the scroll, carefully observing Lucy’s every move.
If she continued at this pace, she would surely break through his trial shortly.
In a way he never expected.
“Hmm.”
Truth be told, he didn’t like this situation one bit.
Once that brat passed the trial, he could just imagine her saying,
“Is this really what you call a trial? Is it because a brat designed it that it’s set to this ease?”
“I nearly dozed off, I almost ended up in danger due to slumber!”
Just thinking of such obnoxious comments made him seethe.
But that was solely his own emotion.
If she managed to pass the trial by any means, it would be seen as a valid outcome.
Still, he was curious.
“How about it, Ruel? You believe Lucy Alrn can conquer any trial, right?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“If your conviction holds true, don’t question what I’m about to do now.”
Saying that, Ganshu expanded his powers within the scroll.
The original trial world began to shift gradually.
“There will be fitting rewards awaiting at the end of this new trial.”
*
I halted with goosebumps rising on my skin.
Dark clouds hung overhead, looming like a shroud.
The faint noises of the forest fell silent all at once.
The vibrancy once felt within the woods was now gravely unsettling.
What was happening in this world was something that never occurred in the game.
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