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Chapter 7
Grow Beautifully, If You Can
Overnight, I was forced to leave my home and live in an unfamiliar world.
As a clear victim of involuntary relocation, I had every right to be furious — but I decided not to disgrace myself by yelling at the gods.
In truth, I didn’t even feel angry. Only pity.
How desperate must they be for talent to summon a completely ordinary civilian from another world?
“To the one who craves twisted truth, the Wise One gladly watches over you. Speak your desire, and it shall be heard.”
“Then can you, say… show my overall ability levels numerically, like when you display mental power limits? Assume 20 is the maximum through ordinary training, and 30 marks a transcendent’s upper boundary. It’d be great if you also listed any mysteries I possess.”
It was a rather complicated request, but [Eye That Sees Through Truth] quickly obliged.
[Soul Rank – Level 1]
[Strength – 2 | Endurance – 1 | Dexterity – 2 | Agility – 3 | Perception – 3 | Charisma – 20 | Knowledge – ?? (Unreadable) | Wisdom – ?? (Incomprehensible) | Faith – ?? (Insufficient data)]
[Possessed Mysteries – ☆Eye That Sees Through Truth☆ (Rank 1+), Web That Binds All (Rank 1)]
“Why is this so hard to read? What’s with the question marks and stars?”
《>:(》
I missed the clean, game-style status window.
Still, better than nothing.
“From now on, when I say ‘Status Window!’, you display it neatly — trim the commentary too, please.”
As I calmly reviewed my miserable stats as a cultist, new words appeared below.
“Your kind, the elfkin, were never meant to bask in the glory of worshipping an evil god. The petty god of nature watches you with furious eyes — it cannot be helped.”
“Even so, you chose the arduous path of devotion to the Great One. A righteous, admirable choice… though, sadly, there is no way to stop the curse nature’s god bestows upon those who reject it. Soon your strength and agility will sink into the abyss…”
《:(》
“Why bother stopping me, then? Just let it be.”
I immediately lifted my shirt and examined my chest.
There — in the center of my lean torso — a small seed had sprouted, protruding just slightly from the skin above my solar plexus.
‘Seed of Compost Sprout,’ the Curse of the Nature God
A parasitic plant that grows in the bodies of elfkin who worship evil gods. Once it sprouts, it drastically weakens the host’s physical abilities. Time until germination – 3 days.
A vile curse that would lock my Strength and Agility at 1.
Left unchecked, it would be pure punishment — but with the right process, it could be redirected into something the god never intended.
That would surely enrage them further… but appeasing them wouldn’t save me either way.
“Grow beautifully, if you must.”
Satisfied, I brushed my fingers over the tiny seed and crawled into bed.
Time to visit the land of dreams.
“Special advice: A good night’s rest will fully recover fatigue and lift your spirits!”
The bedding was rough compared to the soft mattresses of the modern world, yet I fell asleep instantly.
And it was a deep, peaceful sleep.
Warm sunlight filled the room.
It was already near noon when I finally opened my eyes. My old biological clock, sharp enough to wake me at 7 AM, was gone — perhaps a side effect of changing bodies.
“You sleep quite soundly,” said a voice.
I had barely stepped into the corridor in fresh clothes when the siblings appeared.
Technically, only Marlin stood on her own feet; Abel was piggybacked on her back.
“Abel, the tiger-beast boy (age 12). Sprained his ankle while fleeing ghouls in the labyrinth — never complained once. Tough kid, admirable.”
“Abel, you’re hurt. You should’ve told me.”
“He’s always like this,” Marlin sighed.
She shot her brother a scolding look.
“Last time he tried to pickpocket an orc’s purse, got caught, beaten half to death — ribs broken — and still didn’t say a word. Said he didn’t want me to worry.”
Touching, though slightly less so once I learned why he got hurt.
“You waited for me, though.”
“We couldn’t just leave without saying goodbye.”
“Let’s go then. The longer we stay, the more the bill piles up.”
“…Right.”
We stepped out into the bustling market square.
“Which way are you heading?”
“Where else would kids like us live in Sector Six?”
“It’s rude to answer a question with another question.”
“…The eastern slums.”
“Come. I’ll walk you there.”
Marlin hesitated, then trudged after me, her steps heavy — easy enough to read.
“Don’t want to go home?”
“No.”
“Why?”
I already knew, of course.
Marlin and Abel.
The tiger-beast siblings — children it would be a loss not to befriend.
I knew exactly what to do to recruit them, and what benefits came from earning their trust.
Still, confessions carry weight only when spoken by the one who bears them.
Marlin sighed and hesitated a while before finally speaking.
“…We’re actually part of the Thieves’ Guild.”
“I see.”
“You’re not surprised?”
“Oh my, children in a thieves’ guild? How shocking!”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“You’re a difficult child, Marlin.”
“Anyway… we were picked up when we were really young by the Guild Leader of the Black Blade Guild. He taught us how to steal. I know it’s wrong, but we had no choice. What else could orphans do to survive?”
I stared at Abel’s swollen ankle as her quiet voice continued.
“A few weeks ago, the Guild Leader started calling me in alone. Making… strange demands.”
I didn’t pry. I already knew enough.
Among players, that Guild Leader was infamously known by another name — the Filthy Thief.
“When I refused, he got mad and said I had to pay all my ‘exempted’ tribute money within a week.”
“How much?”
“About… a thousand gold.”
Since Nightmare Dungeon was an American game, one silver equaled one dollar.
A hundred silver made one gold — meaning their debt was roughly in the hundreds of millions of won.
Impossible for kids their age to pay, especially since they’d earned nothing from their dungeon run.
“…What do we do now?”
“You know,” I said thoughtfully, “evil gods generally prefer wicked offerings. The more… stimulating, the better.”
It might be time to plan a proper ritual hunt.
The Black BladeGuild Leader would make quite a fresh sacrifice — even the pickiest of gods would approve.
“Wait.”
I stopped and gently turned Marlin by the shoulder.
“…What is it?”
“Any particular reason you must rush back to the slums?”
“Not really. Honestly, I’d rather go as late as possible. I’ll have to face the Guild Leader if I go back.”
“Then come with me.”
I led the siblings southward, toward the Harmony Church’s administrative zone in Sector Six.
The further we went, the emptier the streets became — until the crowds vanished entirely.
The few people we did meet looked… unsettling: robed figures whispering under their breath, bandaged wanderers, tattooed fanatics.
Abel whispered nervously to his sister.
“Where’s he taking us…?”
Fair question.
“Almost there,” I said.
By the tenth repetition of his worried mutter, we reached a familiar street — rows of white-painted houses, the color of purity.
At the boundary where the gray city turned pale, two holy knights in white armor stood guard, watching us sternly.
“Cultist Containment Zone, Sector Six.”
The Harmony Church’s designated town for the followers of evil gods.
Every cultist in Plethica was required to live here — no exceptions.
“…Ah.”
Marlin stiffened.
“This is the… cultist camp, isn’t it?”
“Camp? Hardly. You just can’t leave without permission — but it’s not imprisonment.”
“That is imprisonment!”
“Technically different. No one forces you to stay. You’re free to leave… it’s just that if you’re caught outside, they execute you. So best not to.”
“……”
I showed my ID to the knights, and we passed through.
Marlin’s eyes darted about as she took in the neighborhood.
“It’s… surprisingly normal.”
“What, were you expecting tentacles in the streets? Flesh-made houses? Purple skies?”
“Well… yeah, kind of.”
“That only happens sometimes. Usually it’s quite tidy.”
“……”
I brought them to a familiar building — one of many identical two-story houses, except for the small nameplate beside the door that read Karr.
“Your assigned residence from the Harmony Church. Not exactly charity — every bit of it tallied as debt under the guise of generosity. How laughably pious.”
“This is my house,” I said casually.
“Well, technically, it’s under the Church’s name, but same difference. There’s no rule against roommates, so you can stay as long as you want.”
“…Karr, can I ask something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you bring us here? You didn’t have to. We barely know each other.”
Their faces mirrored each other — Marlin’s wary confusion, Abel’s curious awe.
The kindness of a cultist must have felt… unnatural.
“Don’t be moved. It’s not free.”
Nothing in the world is free.
Anyone who offers something for nothing is either a con artist or a saint.
I was neither — so I would demand a fair price.
“Marlin, Abel — you both have talent as explorers.”
Through experience, I knew: these two weren’t meant to rot as pickpockets.
With proper support, both could grow into first-tier companions.
“I’ll be your sponsor,” I said. “Not for free. For now, you’ll just receive my help — you can repay the debt later, little by little.”
“……”
They stared at me blankly, mouths slightly open.
I understood that look.
They wanted to feel grateful, but confusion tangled their thoughts.
No adult in the slums had ever treated them as people before.
“If it feels too heavy,” I added lightly, “then let’s make it simple. I’ll give you food and shelter — in return, Abel, you help around the house. Cleaning, dishes, maybe cooking if you can.”
“…Housework?”
“And you, Marlin — you’ll do something more important.”
She blinked. “Like what?”
I smiled.
“You’ll be my assistant from now on.”
