Chapter 27: Goddess of Misfortune [I]

Should I say as expected? Since, an hour later, Julie emerged from the room with wobbly legs, her face flushed and hair still a mess. She was clinging to the doorframe for support, glaring at me as if it was my fault she looked like this.

"I told you... an hour," I said flatly, watching her struggle to stand upright.

"You could've let me sleep longer," she grumbled, dragging herself forward. "Marc and Bruno... they were relentless."

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You brought it on yourself. Next time, keep your extracurricular activities separate from work hours."

Julie groaned again, limping toward her staff. "Why do you have to be so cold, Lira? At least let me have some fun."

"Fun doesn't help us survive," I replied, turning toward the door. "Get it together. We're leaving."

Julie muttered something under her breath, but she followed anyway, her steps uneven and slow. It was going to be a long day.

"Lira, now that I think about it, you should definitely join us next time, it's fun and exciting," Julie teased, a sly grin on her face.

For a brief moment, her words sparked an odd sense of temptation. But just as quickly, I felt a wave of disgust at the thought. "No," I replied flatly, shutting down her suggestion without hesitation.

Julie pouted but quickly shrugged it off. "Suit yourself. You don't know what you're missing."

We began our journey to climb the tower once more. This time, Julie took the lead, guiding us through unfamiliar terrain.

After hours of walking, we found ourselves in a vast desert. The heat was oppressive, and the endless expanse of sand seemed to stretch forever.

"Now what?" I asked, shielding my eyes from the glaring sun.

Julie turned back, her expression mischievous. "The Sandmen here are said to have long—"

I didn't let her finish. My hand came down hard on her head, the smack echoing in the dry air.

"Do you wanna die!" my tone sharp.

Julie rubbed her head, grumbling under her breath. "Fine, fine. You're no fun."

She murmured something which I didn't quite catch but never mind. This girl's really quite a handful I thought to myself.

Eventually, she led me to a shimmering portal nestled between two dunes. Its surface flickered like molten glass, radiating an ominous energy.

Julie's eyes were still slightly red from the earlier reprimand, but her voice carried a hint of excitement. "This," she said, gesturing to the portal, "is the rumored gate to Floor 2."

I stared at the portal, its swirling energy reflecting in my eyes. "About time," I muttered, stepping forward. "Let's see what this tower really has to offer."

Still, it's weird how a place like this isn't guarded but never mind the details.

Julie hesitated for a moment before following, her usual smirk replaced by a nervous smile.

As we stepped through the portal, the sensation of being pulled through dimensions left a faint hum in my ears. On the other side, Julie's voice broke the silence.

"You know," she mumbled, almost wistfully, "we really should have brought a few male slaves along. It would've made things more fun."

I ignored her comment, my focus on taking in our surroundings.

It was a new world that much was obvious, though I couldn't quite articulate how I knew.

Perhaps it was the air, thick with an unfamiliar energy, or the towering trees that stretched impossibly high, their trunks wide enough to house entire villages.

"Trees everywhere," I muttered, staring up at the trees. "Gigantic ones, to add."

Julie glanced around before turning to me, her usual smirk back in place. "Lira," she began, her voice taking on a sultry tone, "It'll only be for a few days, how about you have sex with me during this period?"

I didn't even dignify her suggestion with a pause. "No," I said flatly, my tone colder than the air we'd left behind. "This is a good time to restrain that behavior of yours. Follow me."

Without waiting for her response, I began to walk, my eyes scanning for any signs of danger.

Julie trailed behind, grumbling under her breath. Her usefulness was waning, I thought to myself, but I still couldn't bring myself to leave her to her death.

Maybe it was her penchant for physical pleasure that made her easy to deal with.

The thought crossed my mind that I could simply leave her in a town and move on. She'd likely thrive there, indulging in her vices while I continued to climb.

As we ventured deeper into this strange new world, Julie squirmed every now and then, clearly uncomfortable or impatient. Despite her antics, she kept up, her usual chatter subdued for the time being.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks. Julie, startled, nearly bumped into me. In front of us stood a group of monsters—small, spear-wielding creatures. They weren't particularly fast but definitely not slow either. Their menacing snarls echoed in the air, but I wasn't fazed.

"Small fries," I muttered, gripping my demon sword tightly. I moved through them with swift precision, cutting down every last one. It wasn't even a challenge. As the last creature fell, I felt a surge of power within me—my level had risen.

Behind me, Julie screamed in delight. "Lira! Lira! I'm finally level 20! I can finally receive the blessings of a god!"

I turned to her, my brow furrowing. "Blessings of a god? What do you mean?"

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she explained. "It means I can finally choose a god to follow and receive their blessings!" She paused, her gaze locking onto mine. Then, as if struck by an epiphany, she dropped to her knees dramatically.

"Goddess Lira!" she proclaimed at the top of her lungs. "Ah, take me in as your believer!"

I froze, shocked and utterly confused. "What?" The words barely escaped my lips when a screen materialized in front of me, glowing softly.

[System Notification]

Host: Lira

Occupation: Goddess of Misfortune (Sealed)

Priestess: 1

Believers: 291

• Take in believers and grant random blessings to them. (available)

• You can also knight them and grant them authority (Sealed).

The words stared back at me, and for a moment, I was at a loss. A goddess? Misfortune? This had to be some sort of twisted joke.

Julie remained on her knees, not even daring to look up or even meet my eyes.

I clenched my jaw, unsure whether to laugh or scream. This tower never ceased to surprise me, and now, it seemed, it had dragged me into something far beyond my understanding.