Chapter 442 – So This is What You Look Like…
Right now, I’m on the guild rooftop.
Honestly, I have no idea why I’m here.
When I regained consciousness, I found myself gripping the rooftop railing, looking like a sleepwalker.
Zzz-zzzzz…
[Are you awake?]
“…Huh…?”
But what surprised me even more was the unfamiliar person standing right next to me.
And they weren’t even touching the ground.
[Why are you so surprised?]
“…No way…?”
They even spoke with a voice that felt strangely familiar.
[Oh, I guess this is your first time seeing me like this.]
“…Is that you, Piece?”
[That’s right.]
It was none other than Piece’s voice.
With them sticking so closely to me, I could almost confirm it was indeed Piece, but at the same time, I couldn’t ignore the doubt that surfaced.
For one, I had never seen her original form.
Naturally, I was a bit worried that this might be a trap set for me.
After all, she could be the entity that attacked me in my dreams.
“You’re a fake, you fucking b*tch.”
[Nuh-uh.]
This was definitely Piece.
“With that kind of reaction and chemistry, you’re the real deal.”
[I don’t think you know about that kind of chemistry, do you?]
“…Don’t say such things, f*ck.”
Especially since she was revealing information I didn’t want to know.
[By the way, how do you feel about this body?]
“Hmmm…”
At that, I quietly focused my gaze on Piece.
Her hair, dark as pitch, made me worry that she might brush the ground with it.
Jewelry like necklaces, shoo shoo, and rings adorned her skin, which shimmered like aquamarine.
A black dress draped off one shoulder, highlighting her collarbone and cleavage.
And a pair of red eyes that looked slightly ominous, just like my left eye.
She really matched the term “goddess” perfectly in appearance.
But aside from all those other impressions, there was one thought that stood out.
Why does she have to be so stunningly beautiful yet…
“Why the hell did you spout all that annoying crap all this time with this appearance?”
[At least I haven’t spread any rumors like some old hag.]
“Shut it.”
I questioned whether she even acted that way.
“Why the tattoos?”
[They appeared at some point because of the illustrations.]
“Aha.”
She wasn’t some shapeless being I met in a dream or a grotesque figure from the Bible.
In fact, she had the ideal combination of black hair and red eyes that matched my tastes perfectly.
[Are you getting turned on?]
“…No, shut up.”
Of course, I absolutely didn’t want to give that impression.
In a way, it wasn’t strange, considering Piece was equivalent to a celestial entity.
So it wouldn’t be too out of place if she took on a humanoid form, given the trends in web novels today.
But I still thought this was way too much to expect out of that crazy b*tch.
“Why does a god have breasts and hips?”
[Ah, is that what you’re asking about?]
She had large breasts and hips that were unnecessary on top of that.
[Even if called a goddess, in web novels, she’s just a mere female mammal.]
“…Do people usually say that about themselves, f*ck?”
Putting aside everything else, she did embody the name Piece perfectly.
Coincidentally, Piece’s appearance was like a large piece of art.
The space inside looked dreamlike, disconnected from reality.
Now Piece lounged against the boundary of that piece, propping her chin up.
As if that was an exitless border.
And it seemed that what I could see was all there was.
Even when I tried to reach out, I couldn’t touch a thing.
I attempted that multiple times during our conversation.
“So, I guess just watching is the limit, huh?”
[……Why are you extending your hand naturally like that, you dog?]
Piece thought it was the same for her.
“…You just swung your fist at me, you annoying b*tch.”
[You gotta hit a dog to make it listen.]
I knew that physical contact was tough for both of us.
However, an important question popped into my mind regarding this situation.
How could she show herself this time, unlike before?
“What did you do this time to reveal your appearance like this?”
[It’s all thanks to you.]
“Me?”
I tilted my head slightly at those words.
To be honest, I hadn’t done much in the dream world.
I was just passively taking it all, and the only thing I did at the end was bite back.
It felt a bit weak and pathetic for a protagonist’s behavior.
[Because you drew attention, I was able to pursue that bastard.]
“So without that, would you have also gotten eaten?”
[I was acting nonchalant at the time, but it was actually a bit dangerous, so thanks.]
I was relieved to think I might’ve helped a bit.
If I guessed the situation correctly, my weak antics caused some gaps.
And it seemed Piece took advantage of that to nibble on a part of that bastard.
Essentially, it was kind of like cannibalism among peers.
“Gods can eat each other, huh?”
[It’s not always possible, but in this case, I was a part of that bastard.]
And it seemed Piece gained power through that act, allowing her to manifest like this.
“So that’s the f*cker you’re talking about.”
[……It is, but… but… f*ck…]
Though it wasn’t complete cannibalism, at least compared to only hearing her voice before, this was a significant upgrade.
“If it’s a part, then that bastard is essentially the creator of the world.”
[That’s correct.]
“Of course.”
Plus, I learned that the adversary who approached me in my dreams was the creator.
[You’re not that surprised, huh?]
“I had a weak assumption. I just didn’t want to speak recklessly without being sure.”
Honestly, it was something I could’ve guessed to some extent.
Regression is a domain of the divine, and the one spreading it was the creator.
“But why didn’t you realize that, Piece?”
[Unlike before, your appearance was so ugly that I couldn’t think of it even after hearing you mention it.]
Recalling that the ability to seize divine powers belonged to gods made sense.
“After all, these days with skins on, it’s easy to not recognize someone, right?”
[Even the voice can change.]
However, that raises an odd point.
While regression ultimately belongs to a god, it can be reclaimed.
So why can’t Piece, after all, be taken back?
If you think about it, Piece could also be considered the creator’s property.
[I’m just residual, but I’m a self-aware independent existence.]
“So you’re saying the ownership was lost, and that’s why she couldn’t be reclaimed?”
[That’s exactly right.]
With this, at least one puzzling point was clarified.
If Piece had no self-consciousness, she could’ve been reclaimed.
But for reasons unknown, Piece had become an established existence.
[You can’t make an independent child move according to the will of their parents.]
“In The Sims, one of the kids I raised couldn’t even function properly.”
Guess she managed to escape the creator’s grasp.
[So you ended up killing them all, you crazy bastard.]
“This is surprisingly normal gameplay, you f*ck.”
However, there was still an unanswered question.
Since Piece is a shard of a god, she could appear in my dreams too.
She could have helped me through that act of cannibalism.
Just like that creator who tried to eat me in my dream.
“Then why hasn’t she shown up in my dreams all along?”
[I’ve lacked the power to interfere with your dreams.]
And upon hearing Piece’s next words…
“So that’s why you could only show up when we made contact?”
[That’s correct. At that moment, the creator’s power flowed into me.]
I began to understand the situation a bit better.
Even if she’s a shard of a god, she’s still a weak existence.
That made it hard to interfere with the consciousness world of others.
But when the contact occurred, they became one.
[More precisely, when it touched your left eye. I was dwelling there.]
“My eye got messed up because of you.”
Only then was she finally able to interfere using divine power.
[Thanks, Midori.]
“Fcking btch.”
To be accurate, it was the creator’s power, not Piece’s.
Nonetheless, through that contact, Piece also became one with the creator.
Thanks to that, she climbed to an equal divine position, which made this possible.
“So it’s like taking money from a joint account.”
[That’s right. That’s why joint accounts can be dangerous.]
And during that process, after munching on a piece of the god’s power, the other party hurriedly retreated.
“So in the end, it’s like getting a divorce and taking the alimony.”
[You should try it sometime. It’s surprisingly rewarding.]
“Does that kind of talk come up in harem stories, you crazy b*tch?”
In any case, with the minor questions resolved,
it was now time to dive into the main mystery.
“But what exactly did that f*cker want to take from me?”
[It’s likely because of the ability I granted you.]
What did that bastard creator want from me?
“Is it the ability to read others’ regressions?”
[More precisely, it’s the source of that ability.]
And the answer was surprisingly simple.
“Oh.”
[Just as you thought.]
This was something I had almost forgotten and, at the same time, something Piece had warned me about.
[You are the reference point for regression.]
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