Minami stood in shock.
As her eyes widen with disbelief,
staring at the Codex in her hands as the weight of her discovery pressed down on her existence.
The truth had not arrived with thunder or revelation. It had come quietly—like rot beneath the skin. A world dying slowly, pretending it was still alive.
The Codex shuddered.
Without Minami touching it, its pages flipped on their own, parchment rustling like whispers from a grave. The symbols rearranged themselves, ink bleeding into new meaning.
Her first quest of ascension had been written.
Objective:
Save this world.
Method:
Destroy the Six Blights responsible for the Rot.
Time Limit:
Six months.
Minami's fingers tightened.
Six.
Six Blights. Six months.
Her eyes moved down the page.
Starting Provisions:
Low-tier magic spells:
– Fireball
– Wind Slash
– Water Ball
– Vine Bind
– Disguise
"…That's it?" she muttered.
No armies. No followers. No divine artifacts.
Just scraps.
The Codex was merciless.
Reward for Completion:
Ascension to Class-C Goddess
Authority Expansion:
– Miracles
– Blessings
Added benefits: recognition by all the inhabitants of elythara as their goddess and supreme deity
Her pulse stuttered.
Miracles. Blessings. Total recognition
True divine influence.
Then her gaze fell to the final line.
Penalty for Failure:
Immediate erasure.
Soul suction into Oblivion.[Death]
Minami closed the Codex.
Slowly.
"Right," she said softly. "So it's do or die."
There was no anger in her voice. No panic.
Just acceptance.
If she had learned anything since awakening, it was this: hesitation killed faster than monsters.
There were 6 regions in elthyra each containg a blight.
Her first destination:
The Human Kingdom of Haven
But she could not go as she was.
Divinity—even restrained—left a pressure on the world. Mortal eyes might not understand it, but instinct would recoil. Which would raise unnecessary suspicion and attention
Neither would help her hunt a Blight.
Minami activated Disguise.
Her silver hair darkened, fading into a plain black that framed her face without standing out. Her eyes dulled into an unremarkable brown. Her body shifted—bones compressing, muscles relaxing—until she resembled an eighteen-year-old human girl.
Nothing striking.
Nothing memorable.
She hesitated, then glanced down at the tiny gorgons coiled around her arms.
"…Sorry about this."
Using disguise
she reshaped them.
Small. Soft. Glassy-eyed.
Dolls.
If anyone looked closely, they might notice the craftsmanship was… unsettling. But no one would dare touch them.
Satisfied, Minami opened a portal.
Space folded.
She stepped through.
The Human Kingdom of Haven greeted her with stone walls stained by time and banners that had lost their color.
At first glance, it looked unsettling calm
Minami felt it immediately—the wrongness. The air was heavy, sluggish, as though the land itself was tired. Buildings stood intact, but maintenance was sloppy. Crops beyond the walls grew unevenly, their color dull and lifeless.
The city was surviving.
Not thriving.
Rot was present but not on a large scale
Minami entered the Adventurers' Guild.
The interior was crowded, loud with overlapping conversations and the clatter of armor. Mercenaries argued over contracts. Clerks scribbled frantically. The scent of sweat and steel filled the air.
Normal.
She approached the counter.
The receptionist looked up—a young woman with chestnut hair tied into a neat ponytail and tired but kind eyes.
"Welcome to Haven's Adventurers' Guild," she said in delightful manner "Name?"
"Gold," Minami replied, knowing she can't give out her name from her previous life
The woman smiled faintly. "my name is Bell.Are you registering?"
"Yes"
" Well you are in luck , you usually have to pay a registration fee but due the current situation there's no need"
Bell asked . " Registration class?"
"Mage", Minami replied after she carefully taught about the magic spells should cast.
Paperwork followed. Tests. Demonstrations.
Minami held back her output carefully, casting controlled spells that barely scraped beyond apprentice level.
Fireball. Wind Slash. Water Ball. Vine Bind.
Clean. Efficient. Nothing divine.
Bell stamped the card.
"D-Rank Mage," she announced.
"Welcome."
Minami inclined her head. "Thank you."
As Bell handed over the badge, Minami casually asked, "Busy lately?"
Bell let out a breath that was half a laugh, half a sigh. "You could say that. Monster waves. Two months straight."
Minami's eyes sharpened.
"Monster waves?"
"Yeah. Crazed ones," Bell said. "No pattern. No logic. The knights and adventurers are holding them back, but… something's wrong. They're not acting like monsters should."
"And the farmlands?"
Bell's expression darkened. "Failing. Crops grow, but they rot before harvest. No amount of restorative magic works."
The pieces clicked together.
"And the royal family?" Minami asked.
"Healthy. King, queen, two kids. All fine."
Interesting.
Minami hesitated. "Do the people pray to a god?"
Bell blinked. "A god?"
"Yes."
"…No," she said slowly. "Not really. Haven never had one."
Minami thanked her and stepped away.
Her suspicion deepened.
According to the Codex, every world had a ruling deity.
And she taught this world… had been created with her.
She kept her suspicions aside for now and focused on the more pressing matter at hand
She accepted low-level quests. Slime extermination. Goblin suppression. Supply escorts.
She moved efficiently. Quietly.
The something about the monsters seemed off
Their eyes were bloodshot. Movements erratic. Some attacked even when injured beyond reason.
Madness.
Yet after seven days, she found nothing. No Blight. No core.
Just rot spreading invisibly.
Then came the request.
Juran Forest.
Collect Pale Leaves.
Minami accepted.
The forest was silent.
Too silent.
Minami had taken only a few steps when she heard it—a heavy impact, followed by a shrill, furious scream.
She moved instantly.
An ogre loomed ahead, massive and wild-eyed, its skin veined black. Beneath it, pinned against a broken tree, was a pale green -haired youth with crimson eyes, whose leg has been servely damaged.
A vampire.
The ogre roared and swung.
Minami cast Wind Slash.
The blade struck—and dispersed uselessly against the creature's hide.
"Tch."
She felt the vampire's shock as she stepped between them.
The ogre charged.
Minami exhaled.
She compressed her Life Essence, not releasing divinity—just refining physical force. Her body moved as it had in the forest weeks ago.
Clean. Precise.
She leaped.
Spun.
Dodged a crushing fist by inches.
Her eyes narrowed— mirad Eyes locking onto structural weaknesses.
The skull.
She landed, pivoted, and drove her fist upward.
The impact cracked bone.
The ogre collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
Silence returned.
The vampire stared at her, stunned.
"…You didn't even use a spell."
Minami looked down at him. "Are you injured?"
"Only my pride," he said bitterly.
She offered a hand.
He hesitated—then took it.
"Valx von Fostine," he said with a dramatic flourish. "Crowned Prince of the Night Kingdom. Son of Dracula von Fostine."
Minami blinked once.
"…You're weak."
Valx scowled. "My powers are sealed! I ran away to make a name for myself, and my father—"
"Sealed your abilities," she finished. "Including regeneration."
"…Yes."
"And sunlight?"
"A ridiculous myth."
She sighed.
Valx glanced at her dolls, then back at her. "Please. Let me join you."
"No."
He dropped to his knees.
"…Please."
She stared at him.
"…Fine."
Back in Haven, Valx registered as an F-Rank Tanker.
Minami regretted everything immediately.
That night, beneath the city…
Something pulsed.
A cocoon—veined and wet—trembled in the dark.
A crack formed.
Red eyes opened.