The laws of the hidden world apply differently than in the material world.
Even if you toss a single biscuit as a burnt offering, these guys can drink, play music, and generally make a bigger mess than a festival crowd.
"Ah… I'm wasted…"
"This is the good shi†…"
"…Yeah, sure."
I stood there, sighing. A bunch of angels, clearly competent enough to level an army, were sprawled across the floor like drunk college students.
"Hey, I ate well."
The reddest-faced one stood up. Of course, it's the Lord Angel. The guy who outranks everyone and probably thinks mortal bureaucracy is cute.
"Thanks to you, working became enjoyable for a bit. It's been a while, and who knows when we'll get this again."
"They're not feeding you on duty?"
"What kind of food would there be in this world? We don't even need to eat."
"…Right. Makes total sense."
So basically, they're immortal winged laborers, probably stuck on eternal overtime without pay. Lovely.
"Don't think about useless things. Now, tell me."
He gestured to the still-smoking Hoy Expanse incense burner.
"You came to us because you wanted something. Speak, and I'll give it to you."
Around me, the angels muttered and complained like overworked office staff on a Friday afternoon.
"…Fantastic."
Even though the incense burner is mainly for contacting the hidden world, apparently survival items in this universe also come with divine perks. Lucky me.
"Say what you want, and I'll do the best I can."
I had prepared dozens of bargaining chips. Completely unnecessary.
"You don't offer things to the air. Looking at you… it seems you know how angels operate."
"…To be honest, I kinda do."
I know this ability.
Insight.
A skill that can grasp one's 'essence' just by looking at them. Basically, it's like reading someone's Status Window in painfully high resolution.
"I see that you're someone who's going to be big in the future. Think of this like an investment."
"…Uh-huh."
"I can see potential. Just not fully developed yet."
The angels lying around, wobbling like overworked office interns, echoed the sentiment.
A burdensome high evaluation. Great. Just what I needed. What on Earth could he possibly mean?
'This must be it…'
He's probably talking about my Special Gift.
The ability to gain favor from the wicked.
If we're talking potential, there's literally nothing else that comes to mind.
"That is more powerful than you think. I'm interested to see how you deal with it."
He laughed like it was the most entertaining thing he'd seen all century.
But then came the part that made my blood run cold.
"But it's not necessarily always good."
"Yes?"
"You've been bitten by something terrible. I can't see its full form yet, but it's bad. Seems to have latched onto you because of your abilities."
Blink. Wait. What?
He scratched his head, still chuckling.
"But again, it's kinda funny. Bad? Sure. Harmful? Not really. Feels… oddly friendly. Like it's trying to help."
"…What?"
"I can't see its shape, so it won't hit you directly. Just… brace yourself sometime soon."
Right. Of course. "Brace yourself." That's helpful.
Then came the advice bomb.
"If it's a matter of survival, I bet you're the type to grab everything that isn't nailed down, right? That incense burner? Technically someone else's."
"…How did you know?"
"I told you, I can see everything."
Smirk. Classic.
"But I'm not going to stop you. If it were anyone else, I might've said something. But not you."
"Yes?"
"Take it all. Anything and everything. Surviving this abomination without using all your tools? Impossible."
Heavy words. Thank you, Captain Obvious.
Then, just to keep me off balance, he added,
"But don't worry too much."
"What? You just said a terrifying thing!"
"I can tell just by looking at your expression. Usually, humans I've seen get scared right away when they hear these words."
A ferocious smile crept across his face.
"But you… You remained calm and even planned on how to survive to see the next day. People like that typically have a long life."
"…"
"Trust me, the average person doesn't do that. You're a bud waiting to bloom."
Again, it's an obnoxiously high evaluation.
I'm just trying not to die here.
But this is coming from an angel. I should probably take this seriously—this is important.
"Squad Leader, you're rambling nonsense after receiving the good shi†?"
"Come on, grab the shovel instead of eating it."
"Look at these little f*cks. Hey, suddenly my underlings think they're bosses now—"
"…"
Yeah, this is important. Maybe. Hopefully.
●
'This is actually great.'
Thinking so, I looked at the incense burner in my hand.
The divine protections granted by the angels quietly hummed within it.
< Item Info >
[ Holy Expanse ] [ Item Grade: C+ ]
[ This incense burner has been used in ancestral rites for centuries. It has absorbed the lingering energies of the hidden world, gaining latent divine power. ]
◎ Built-in Skills ◎
■ [ Atonement Flame ] [ Skill Grade: C ]
[ Temporarily converts all additional stats to 'Endurance'. ]
[ Consumes a small amount of mana. ]
※ [ Can be evolved! ]
Upon evolution, it becomes [ Sanctuary of Faith ]!
■ [ Celestial Barrier ] [ Skill Grade: C ]
[ Creates a protective shield that absorbs one incoming attack. ]
[ Consumes a small amount of mana. ]
[ Shield strength scales with the 'Endurance' stat. ]
[ 20-second cooldown. ]
※ [ Can be evolved! ]
Upon evolution, it becomes [ Divine Bastion ]!