Please support the translation by reading the translation and commenting on otakutl official site.
Thank you.
Everyone from Otaku Translation
Chapter 16: This Isn’t How Games Normally Work
---
Staring at the laureate, Viya tilted her chin toward Mithra, signaling that it was time for an explanation.
Normally, Mithra would have complained about being treated like an encyclopedia, but she was still too stunned to react properly. Instead, she instinctively began explaining:
“When a Void Domain lord dies, there’s a chance they’ll transform into a ‘laureate.’ This is how most laureates originate.”
“It’s just… the probability is very low.”
“But I wouldn’t recommend absorbing it right now.” Mithra shook her head, already resigned to the fact that she had randomly stumbled upon someone extraordinary.
“Hmm?”
“Because laureates undergo a certain reshaping based on the Ascender’s affiliated kingdom. For instance, in the Seventh Kingdom—the origin of elements and stars—any Ascender who knocks on its gates will have abilities skewed toward physical reality.”
The principle was simple: once someone chose their kingdom in the Void Domain and became an Ascender, they were perpetually influenced by that kingdom.
“But this reshaping isn’t always beneficial.” Mithra gestured with her hands.
“If you absorb this laureate, but your kingdom leans more toward enhancing physical spells while weakening mental damage, it might end up being counterproductive.”
“Of course, I’m saying all this just to help you consider whether it suits your kingdom.”
She added:
“If it doesn’t fit, you can sell it through proper channels and use the money to buy a more suitable laureate.”
Mithra did her best to convey goodwill. After witnessing Viya’s unprecedented potential, she couldn’t help but feel inclined to befriend her.
More friends, more paths—that was her father’s favorite saying.
“I understand roughly.”
I don’t even know which great kingdom I belong to… Hearing this, Viya reached out toward the phantom laureate.
[Active Effect: When activated, causes indiscriminate dizziness to everyone nearby. Repeated hits on the same target leave lasting mental trauma, intensity determined by the user’s mental strength.]
[Passive Effect: Your hearing becomes more acute.]
The laureate settled into Viya’s hand, gradually solidifying and gaining weight. The original patterns on the inner side faded, leaving it blank.
“How does it feel?” Mithra knew that if Viya didn’t initiate conversation, they’d likely remain silent until the end of the trial.
She estimated the best-case scenario: after reshaping, it would retain as much of the banshee’s formidable mental attack power as possible.
“It’s fine.” Viya gazed at the untouched laureate in her hand, nodding calmly.
---
The textile factory.
This street was usually deserted, perhaps seeing no passersby for days on end. But now, it was surrounded by people, with caution tape blocking off the perimeter.
A young police inspector held a notebook, weaving through his colleagues and pushing open the front door. A woman dressed distinctly differently from the others stood in the center.
He handed the notebook to her, his tone respectful:
“Ms. Flode, we’ve completed the evidence collection and identification of all the bodies.”
“Without exception, they were all members of a street gang called Old Fire Gang.”
“Old Fire Gang?” Flode frowned, flipping through the pages. Her frown deepened before she snapped the notebook shut, clearly dissatisfied.
“Are you kidding me? What kind of clue is this? You’ve seen the scene—it wasn’t a street fight; it was a massacre. The perpetrator must be at least a mid-tier Ascender.”
“My apologies, ma’am.” The young inspector expressed his usual regret, unable to resist adding:
“But according to the restoration experts, there were no traces of magic at the scene. The only lead points to someone who’s already dead.”
“This means the killer has exceptionally high concealment skills,” Flode finished his sentence, “far surpassing our best restoration expert.”
Dozens of people had died in an abandoned textile factory, silently and without a trace. Coupled with the involvement of human alchemy, the case had caused an uproar among the upper management from the moment it was reported.
Accusations from public opinion, panicked citizens, and demands from higher-ups flooded in, overwhelming Judicature like a tidal wave.
“Who could it be…” Flode narrowed her eyes. “There are too many suspicious points in this case.”
First, Old Fire Gang’s lack of skill meant they shouldn’t have been involved in such advanced human alchemy rituals, let alone bypassing Prochi’s Eye surveillance to engage in human trafficking.
Second, most members of Old Fire Gang retained their expressions at the time of death, clearly dying suddenly without any time to react.
Whether it was the former or the latter, it required the participation of a powerful Ascender.
The more illogical, the murkier the waters became.
Slowly gathering her thoughts, Flode fell silent for a long moment before issuing a command to the young inspector:
“Tell Ronald and the others to stay behind for follow-up work. We’re preparing to withdraw.”
“Yes, ma’am.” The young inspector carefully noted it down, then casually asked:
“What about the public outcry outside?”
At this question, Flode paused, feeling mentally exhausted.
“Announce externally that this matter is under the jurisdiction of the Esoteric Sect.”
“After all, those lunatics have done enough similar things to take the blame anyway.”
---
The Void Domain.
The burning church.
Heat waves blasted against them, but Viya and Mithra seemed unfazed as they stood before a locked door, deep in thought.
As long as they avoided touching the flames, aside from the choking smoke, there was no real danger—at least not yet. What they needed to worry about was what to do if the church collapsed.
“…” Viya pondered. During the earlier battle, part of the wall had collapsed, revealing something hidden behind it.
A locked treasure chest.
Viya sprang into action, searching the area for keys or hidden mechanisms.
“Or… should I handle it?” Mithra watched Viya wandering around and offered her suggestion.
She recognized this type of lock—it couldn’t be broken by brute force, or it would destroy the contents inside. Moreover, if it sensed magical tampering, it would trigger a self-destruct sequence.
Without waiting for Viya’s response, Mithra pulled two thin metal wires from her bag. After comparing their lengths, she placed the longer one in her mouth and inserted the shorter one into the lock.
Clang, clang, clang… The sound of the wire scraping against the lock echoed continuously. After about six or seven seconds, a soft click signaled success.
“How’s that for skill?”
Mithra proudly raised her head. A noble who knew how to pick locks—she might be the only one in all of Rothesia.
But the look she received from Viya was… peculiar.
“No! This isn’t right! We should have been searching for three runes nearby and solving some convoluted riddle! How can an NPC just come in and pick the lock? Normal RPG flow isn’t supposed to work like this…”
Voices echoed in Viya’s ears, and though the tone remained flat, she could detect a faint hint of surprise.
Was there something unusual about that lock-picking…? Viya still didn’t understand, but she could tell the deity viewed it with special significance. She began retracing the simple act, trying to uncover the mysteries of the world and the truths of existence within it.
Mithra also fell into deep thought.
She had never seen such an expression before—as if Viya wasn’t reacting to lock-picking but to some historically significant breakthrough.
For the first time, she saw shock flicker across Viya’s otherwise emotionless face.
The flames continued to burn, but the atmosphere inside the church descended into a deathly silence.
Just a simple act of lock-picking—and three minds were thrown into disarray.
Please rate or leave a review for this novel at
If you would like to support this translation, you may choose any one of the options below.
How to find a list of chapters
Please find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.
