Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Now, I have to start filling up the warehouse. Charles rummaged around the clutter. It must be here somewhere.

Most of the items were of little value, but Charles found a single dalant, which seemed to be leftover change. It was a coin made of an unknown material with elaborate decorations, typically distinguished by plating with copper, silver, gold, and other metals.

The dalant in front of him was a copper dalant, the lowest denomination of currency in the secret world, but it was worth about 5,000 pounds in cash. Considering that the monthly living expenses for a family of four in the lower-middle class were around 30 pounds, it was an incredibly expensive item.

'The problem is that this is leftover change.'

It was just that it hadn't been found because it was in a corner of the warehouse. It was hard to imagine how much wealth the original Charles had. To have spent all that wealth to obtain the 'Power of Dominion'...

"Dalant! Dalanttt!"

Puginarecor looked at the copper dalant with a desperate expression.

"Do you want to eat it?"

"Give it to me! I'll cast a spell for you."

Watching Puginarecor talk like a car dealer, Charles took out the coin. There was no need for a special ritual.

When Charles flicked the dalant and threw it to Puginarecor, Puginarecor caught it with both hands and started to eat it as if it were a cookie, despite it being as big as his face.

"Munch munch munch munch."

"Is it good?"

Nod nod.

Charles had never seen a dalant, the currency of the secret world, being crushed like tofu. Dalants were known for their incredible durability and contained strong spiritual energy.

The scene of Puginarecor, who appeared as a spirit, eating the small dalant was quite cute. When he was a grimoire, it just seemed grotesque.

After eating the dalant, Puginarecor let out a short burp. Well, how could he burp without a digestive system?

"Alright. I feel my power returning. Since we made a deal, I'll pay the price!"

"Okay."

Charles looked at Puginarecor with hopeful eyes. The holographic Puginarecor extended his hand, and a slot machine made of candy, cookies, and jelly appeared.

"Spin the wheel!"

"It's a slot machine!"

"Anyway, pick one."

It wasn't really a choice. Charles crossed his arms and looked at the classic antique-style slot machine with a skeptical expression.

Puginarecor took out a candy coin and gave it to Charles. As soon as the coin was inserted, the reels started spinning.

Charles recognized the symbols. They were the emblems of the ancient gods in the other world.

'The Blood Moon, the Sunken King, the Assassin, and the Sculptor. The emblems of the Four Evil Gods are mixed in, but most are neutral deities.'

The Blood Moon, the Sunken King, the Assassin, and the Sculptor were the deities worshipped by the four major cults secretly operating in the current metropolis.

Charles realized that the combination of the three reels would be the spell Puginarecor would provide. If the three symbols matched, it would be a spell of the deity represented by that symbol.

'I hope the spells of the Four Evil Gods don't come up.'

He pulled the candy lever on the bottom right.

The slot machine spun, showing various symbols before stopping. The first symbol was the sun emblem of the God of Light, the deity of the mainstream Church of Light.

'That's a relief.'

As long as it wasn't a spell of the Four Evil Gods, it would be fine. Using their spells could put Charles in danger.

The second symbol was also the sun emblem of the God of Light. Then, a strange lamp-like symbol appeared.

'I've never seen this symbol before.'

Charles knew he hadn't memorized the emblems of all the deities in the other world, even after playing dozens of times. But he had memorized the mainstream deities, so this symbol must belong to a minor deity.

"Jackpot! It's a done deal!"

A strange book fell from the slot machine's output slot. It was about the size of a small booklet. Puginarecor picked it up and inserted it into his main body.

After the confirmation, Charles opened Puginarecor's page. On the first page, a spell was written.

From the description, Charles recognized it as the existing 'Light of the God of Light' spell. The effects were the same. It was the first spell learned by the heretic judges of the Church of Light.

It had no direct offensive effect but provided various utility effects. It could charm, drive someone mad, temporarily increase enlightenment, or remove magical darkness.

Charles was somewhat satisfied with the versatile effects of the spell. However, since it was a spell used by the Church of Light, using it could lead to being mistaken for a member of the Church of Light's Holy Knights or being pursued by them.

"Hey, the spell doesn't have a name?"

"Huh? Isn't this the Light of the God of Light?"

"No, it's not."

"What?"

"Can't you see what's written in the spellbook? This spell is partially imbued with the power of the God of Light, but it's also imbued with the power of another being."

Charles knew the third symbol on the slot machine was a unique lamp symbol.

'Maybe the God of Light didn't create the Light spell with his own power. Perhaps he stole it or used the power of another being to create it. The God of Light is currently critically injured.'

The God of Light was currently critically injured for some reason. Although the reason was unknown, it was one of the early game settings. Such settings wouldn't change unless the player intervened.

Because of this, Charles speculated that he might be able to steal the spell.

Charles placed his hand on the spellbook. This spell was not the Light of the God of Light. Therefore, he could name it.

The Non-Existent One was a fictional entity Charles had created, but he knew that if such an entity were worshipped, it could have unique effects. However, the Non-Existent One was still weak, Charles judged.

"Let's change it to the Light of the Non-Existent One."

"Alright, I'll do that..."

Before Puginarecor finished speaking, Charles felt his consciousness being sucked into somewhere. He arrived there without any resistance.

He saw a dark sky with a few stars shining above. Looking down slightly, he saw a bizarre place with floating stones. There was no ground below, only floating rocks around him.

This was the realm of imagination. He hadn't meditated or been summoned by any entity, yet he was suddenly in the realm of imagination.

'What is this? Why am I here?'

"Hey, Puginarecor!"

He shouted, but there was no echo. Charles's characteristic calmness calmed his excited mind. He must have been in the process of naming the spell. There were several possibilities.

'I clearly called the name of the Non-Existent One. The name of the Non-Existent One must have been engraved on the spell. The Non-Existent One, who had no existence, form, or influence, finally began to have a mystical impact. But that doesn't explain why I'm here.'

This was his realm of imagination, but it was a place he had never seen before. Charles looked around and noticed a giant obelisk-like rock. He decided to go there.

His body floated and moved on its own. When he arrived at the obelisk, he saw a symbol engraved on it.

'That's the symbol of the Non-Existent One.'

Charles had created a symbol for the Non-Existent One when creating the deity. It was a throne-like shape with several stars embedded in it, known as the symbol of the throne. The Non-Existent One used this as a symbol. Looking down, he saw something at the base of the obelisk.

"Fragment of the Tablet of Revelation!?"

Charles was so surprised that he exclaimed aloud. Yes, in the previous game, the last item Charles obtained was the Fragment of the Tablet of Revelation.

He thought it would have disappeared after the ending and the item reset, but it was embedded in his realm of imagination. Charles realized that the mysterious characteristic marked '???' was related to this.

'If my guess is correct, my realm of imagination has been concretized due to the effect of the Fragment of the Tablet of Revelation. The realm of imagination, which usually requires meditation or a special ritual to enter, opened because the Non-Existent One, who had just begun to exert influence in the secret world, caused it.'

He understood why he was brought here.

In the newly revised scripture, the Non-Existent One was Charles. Since the Non-Existent One was a deity that didn't exist, the possibility of Charles becoming a deity was open.

'The Fragment of the Tablet of Revelation definitely mentioned the word "possibility."'

It was clearly written. It might refer to a new world, perhaps even Charles's realm of imagination.

Charles thought deeply while looking around. He knew how to leave this world but decided to explore the space further.

The giant floating rocks around him seemed endless, giving the illusion that he was standing in an asteroid belt in outer space.

Charles discovered what he could do here. When he extended his hand, a star that should have been billions of light-years away was drawn to his hand.

The star, now the size of a fist, began to emit a strange sound. It was the sound of someone praying to the Non-Existent One.

A girl was kneeling and praying for her family, and the star's perspective was fixed on her.

"Lord Non-Existent One, thanks to your protection, our family is safe today. We are always grateful."

This was a prayer to the Non-Existent One. The floating stars in the sky were prayers to the Non-Existent One. Charles could sense the girl within the star's power.

She was a devout follower of an unknown cult, the daughter of the Plaque couple, who owned a bakery on Monday Street. Her name was Esera. She was seventeen and had dropped out of school to help her parents with the bakery.

Charles could sense not only her physical background but also her spiritual power. She wasn't yet a spiritualist, but she could faintly sense spiritual energy and was quite cunning.

She had almost complete control over her peers and had a natural talent for manipulating and influencing others.

Esera's stat window opened on its own.

【Follower of the 5th Unknown Cult】

【Esera Plaque】

It was the first time he could see someone else's stats without a perception skill. It seemed he could check the stats of the Non-Existent One's followers.

'She has the potential to be my next disciple after Flona. Her physical abilities are average, but her mental abilities are quite high.'

Charles decided to remember Esera. He sent the star back and looked at the other stars in the night sky.