The sound of a bird's song in my ears brought me back to my senses, and I realized I was lying in the forest.
Of course, I...
Ah, I had been sucked into Ganshu's scroll.
Recalling what had happened, I got up from the ground and stretched.
First, let's check my physical condition.
I had fainted before, but unlike when I faced the Evil God of Fire, I felt significantly recovered this time.
The difference between then and now was fundamental.
I guess it makes sense.
At this point, I’m perfectly fine, both in movement and in combat.
It would be problematic if I had to exert myself at full capacity, but...
Well, that’s not going to happen here.
Next, I checked my equipment. Armor? Yes. Shield? Yes. Mace? ...No.
I suppose it's because Grandpa stayed behind.
I sighed with disappointment as I took a new mace out of my inventory and looked at the scenery of the forest.
I think I know where I am. If I follow the usual path here, I shouldn't face any problems.
But when I think about that little brat’s face, I want to surprise him a little.
I want to shout, Don’t mess with my trials!
Would it be possible with my current specs? I thought about it and concluded that it was definitely possible.
Even by game standards, I’m overpowered at this point.
There’s no reason it wouldn’t work.
With that thought in mind, I immediately moved my feet.
Ganshu’s trial was a place where he tested whether someone had the right to verify history.
There were three main criteria for evaluation. First, the person must possess abilities worthy of being recorded in history.
Without such abilities, it would be impossible to confirm their place in history.
The second was virtue. Only those who wouldn’t abuse the things recorded in history had the right to verify it.
And third was curiosity. Only those who could dive into the world to see what was happening were worthy of Ganshu’s recognition.
Normally, Ganshu’s trials created a small world within the scroll to evaluate these traits. The evaluation would be based on the actions taken within that world.
To put it differently, if you know what kind of actions will result in specific evaluations, you can break Ganshu’s original setup.
In games, it was easy to pass these trials without much feedback, but I wondered how it would be in reality.
Given the little brat’s petulant attitude, I didn’t think he’d stay quiet.
I ran through the forest, engraving the plants, animals, and stones I saw into my memory—just enough to earn the curiosity points required.
Then, the sound of a loud thud reached my ears, and without hesitation, I ran toward the source.
The stench of decay filled the air.
A sense of rejection stirred in my instincts.
The sound of something crawling, and most importantly...
A sinister energy emanating from the place that seemed to be the origin of it all.
Ignoring the goosebumps, I arrived at a place where something that had once been called a fairy stood.
Born from nature, an entity that conveyed the stories of nature.
They were beings that wandered, seeking attention with their overflowing playfulness.
Yet their essence was pure, bringing smiles to those nearby.
But now, they had turned into a monster, moving to bring not laughter but screams.
“Grr. Haah. Heh.”
In front of the ear-tickling laughter was a man, collapsed on his back.
Dropping his axe to the ground, he trembled, unable to even think of running away.
If left as is, this man would be stripped of everything the fairy once had inside his mind.
Not in a metaphorical sense, but literally.
Seeing this scene, I was ready to throw up. I took a deep breath and spread my divine power around.
“Wow ♡ You look pretty amazing ♡ You’re so gross ♡”
I caught the fairy-like being’s attention, and when it screamed and rushed toward me, I raised my shield.
Dealing with an opponent without reason is really easy.
Not thinking means they’ll just follow the patterns I know.
I deflected its claws, dove in, and struck down with my mace, imbued with divine power.
I considered the possibility that it wouldn’t fall in one blow and was preparing for the next move, but that wasn’t necessary.
The head shattered from the blow of my mace, disintegrating into dust that scattered on the ground.
The man who had been attacked by the fairy-like being stared at me, dazed.
Seeing his foolish expression, I couldn’t help but lift the corner of my mouth.
“What’s wrong? ♡ Did you wet yourself in your pants? ♡ Pffhahaha ♡ You’re such a pathetic coward ♡”
“...Huh?”
“Still got the energy to babble? How about running home instead? ♡ You smell like piss, it’s totally disgusting ♡ Are you one of those useless guys who needs someone to hold your hand and take you home? ♡”
“Of course not! But I...”
“Then hurry up and leave ♡ Your smell is really horrible ♡”
I watched the man’s face turn bright red, and after he stammered, he ran off into the distance. After giving him a buff, I turned and moved toward the next objective.
There was still much to do.
Ganshu’s trial was about throwing people into the history he had recorded and evaluating various aspects of them.
The trial, created after much thought, focused on the individual’s actions and evaluated them by assigning points.
Until now, Ganshu had never doubted the outcome of his trials.
The results were always consistent with the conclusions Ganshu had reached after observing the person for a long time.
But today, with the arrival of the variable Lucy Arlen, Ganshu was forced to question his own trial for the first time.
An arrogant, disrespectful brat.
Someone who was so arrogant that it was impossible to ignore when she was around.
Yet, there was no denying the righteous and honorable path she had walked so far.
It became clear why the Great God had chosen her.
Ganshu never thought Lucy Arlen would fail his trial.
She had already proven her worth.
Her willingness to offer her hero’s story first was evidence enough of her qualification.
If she didn’t have the necessary abilities, Ganshu would never have approached her with such an eager gaze.
Had Lucy Arlen shown the proper respect for Ganshu, he would have given her what she desired without a trial.
It wasn’t strange for Lucy to show remarkable traits in the trial, but...
“How?”
What Lucy was showing now couldn’t be described as simply “remarkable.”
Lucy Arlen was moving as if she knew exactly what points she was earning in Ganshu’s trial.
She was carefully aware of every glance, every action, as if she was collecting the points needed to pass the trial.
That wasn’t the only remarkable thing.
She seemed to understand everything that was happening in Ganshu’s trial.
What was happening in the forest.
How to resolve it.
And once it was resolved, how to proceed.
Lucy Arlen seemed to know the trial better than Ganshu himself.
And every answer she provided pointed directly to the correct solution.
“Haha. This is the first time I’ve seen Ganshu so flustered.”
Looking up at Ganshu’s flustered face, Luel smiled, but Ganshu frowned.
“Speaking like you knew this would happen.”
“Didn’t you know, Ganshu? I thought you’d have already suspected something, given how closely you’ve watched Lucy’s actions.”
“That’s the realm of the earth.”
While it was understandable that Lucy Arlen was acting this way on earth...
Behind her actions stood the Great God.
But not here.
Even the Great God couldn’t interfere with the trials in Ganshu’s domain.
The very act of transferring everything Ganshu had painstakingly recorded was also...
“So, this wasn’t the help of the Great God. It was Lucy Arlen’s own ability?”
Frowning, Ganshu turned his gaze to the scroll, quietly observing Lucy Arlen’s actions.
If she continued at this pace, she would soon overcome his trial.
In a way that was entirely different from what he had expected.
“Hmm.”
This situation didn’t sit well with Ganshu.
After the trial, Lucy would likely say something like:
“Is this really a trial? Was it designed for a brat like me?”
“I almost fell asleep in there, and I nearly got into serious trouble.”
The thought of that made Ganshu’s blood boil.
But this was only his own emotion.
Whatever the method, if she passed the trial, that was the right answer.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēwebnovel.com.
But still...
How far would she go?
“Luel. You said Lucy Arlen could overcome any trial, right?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“If you are certain, then don’t question what I’m about to do.”
Ganshu said this as he unleashed his power within the scroll.
The world within the trial began to shift, changing little by little.
“There will be a fitting reward at the end of this new trial.”
A shiver ran down my spine as I stopped in my tracks.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, swallowing the world.
The sounds of the forest, which had been faint, disappeared in an instant.
The vitality that had been felt in the forest was now replaced with an unsettling aura.
Something that never existed in the game was happening in this world.