NOVEL ONLINE FREE The breeze is gently blowing on the rooftop.
I spread out a mat and sat cross-legged on it.
From now on, I will begin my mental training.
The method is almost identical to regular meditation.
I close my eyes, eliminate distractions, and dive into the unknown realm of my inner world.
Thus, I had to figure out what efforts were necessary to become a demigod.
However, it would be better to receive help from skilled mages or other mental-type ability users during this process.
Someone with an exceptionally firm will and thoughts, like Liam or Haoran, could achieve demigod status alone, but…
It wasn’t that easy for ordinary people.
If I stubbornly insisted on doing it alone while keeping my pride, I would just end up doing regular meditation.
“Are you ready?”
My training assistant, Hekatrith, flapped her wings in front of me and asked.
Despite her dragon-like tone, there was a hint of concern. Could it be that she was actually worried about me?
It seemed I had somewhat grasped the mindset of a guardian dragon. Or maybe she just had grown fond of me.
In any case, feeling proud of her, I affectionately patted her head.
The young dragon, who had been happily saying “Heeeng,” quickly regained her composure and declared, “How dare you find me cute! I am a magnificent evil dragon!”
“Come on, just be honest. Don’t you feel good?”
“It doesn’t feel bad being treated like a pet by a weaker human!”
So that’s how much she enjoyed it?
“While I enjoy life as a pet, I will not grow fond of you. So don’t be too upset if I seem cold later!”
Even though she behaved like an evil dragon, she was strangely kind and considerate.
Maybe it was because I had attended Kelaout’s lecture on manners and etiquette all day yesterday, but she seemed a bit more refined.
“Got it. I should prepare myself in advance.”
Pretending to be nervous, I scratched between the young dragon’s wings.
Once again, our guardian dragon didn’t resist and simply smiled. That cute expression made me keep petting her.
After sharing a deep bond with our household pet and guardian dragon…
“I was too careless!”
The carefree Hekatrith suddenly shouted, flapping her wings and moving away from me.
She glared at me angrily, panting.
“O Pope! Do you think it is right to play around when you should focus on your training to become a demigod!”
“Why so upset when you were enjoying it just now?”
“It was great fun! But still, this is unacceptable!”
The young dragon, now serious, slapped my head with her tail and advised, “Get your head straight! Ascending to higher realms is not something you accomplish while messing around!”
Since that was the right thing to say, I slowly erased the smile from my face.
Yet, I had one last question I was curious about, so I asked, “Were you originally a demigod, Hekatrith?”
“Are you really asking such an obvious question? Did you think a great and terrifying evil dragon would merely be an ‘extraordinary existence’? I possess divinity!”
“For someone with that kind of status, you sure were easily defeated by Liam.”
“……”
Did bad memories come to mind? The young dragon hesitated for a moment before clinging to my head and whining.
“I told you several times! Back then, my body was not in good condition! I had been defeated by that eagle-looking guy and his companions! Why do you always forget and make me feel sad!”
“I was just joking.”
I found this response amusing, and it made me want to tease her more. It was one of the few moments I understood the mindset of the viewers who liked to mess with me during the broadcast.
Anyway, since Hekatrith was also a demigod, she would be a great help for my training.
“Then let’s begin.”
“Hmm… understood.”
The true young dragon finally settled down in front of me.
Flap, flap; after stirring her petite front paws a few times, bright red mist flowed into the air and then seeped into my head.
Soon, a strange sensation enveloped me, much like when I had created a telepathic chat room the last time.
It felt disgusting, as if maggots were burrowing through my brain and laying eggs.
“Ugh….”
I was able to endure it last time, but this time it was simply unbearable.
My brow furrowed by itself, and I was gripping my hands tightly without realizing it.
In the meantime, the young dragon eagerly started to explain.
“This is the magic I created called ‘Mental Focus! Gurgle-Gulp Deep Inner Diving!’ I will assist in your mental training, so be grateful.”
Did this beneficial magic have to feel this disgusting?
Though I felt disgruntled, I smiled with gratitude.
She really was a true dragon, and I decided to just go with it. After all, tolerance comes from a willingness to embrace others’ flaws.
“O Pope, now give it a try.”
“Understood.”
I immediately closed my eyes and concentrated my mind.
I tried to erase all the distractions filling my head.
Having undergone various mental training as a pope, this wasn’t too difficult a task.
“……”
Silence.
My mind was sinking into a gradually serene sea of silence.
Soon, I reached a point where thoughts started to sound loud.
From here on, it’s the real deal.
I needed to concentrate and delve deep into the innermost part of my consciousness, free of all wandering thoughts.
So, I cast off all the thoughts swirling around me and surrendered myself to the cozy darkness.
-Gelgelgel!
Suddenly, a joking laughter echoed in my mind.
-Hello there! From now on, please leave everything to me! I am “Diver,” a mental being created by the great evil dragon!
What the hell is this?
Just as I was about to jerk my body in surprise, Diver spoke up again.
-You can relax! You are already diving deep within your heart! Just stay calm, and I will let you know when we arrive!
It seemed Hekatrith’s magic was forcibly pulling me into my inner world.
But this wasn’t assisting my mental training; it felt more like being yanked by the collar.
Which was naturally quite vexing.
‘…Gaining enlightenment as a demigod should be primarily self-acquired, right?’
Even if I was just a superhuman, I had my theories.
Having attempted this before and witnessed how Liam became a demigod firsthand, my knowledge related to ascending to a higher realm was quite extensive.
And according to what I knew, the current situation was highly inappropriate. Essentially, Hekatrith was forcing me onward.
-Gelgel! Don’t worry!
Seeming to read my mind, Diver quickly reassured me.
-The great evil dragon did not design this magic haphazardly! The laws of the world will see me merely as a ‘coincidentally present mental being’!
…Can I trust this?
If this was magic made during the prime of the young dragon, rather than in its current state, it could have that effect.
If I couldn’t become a demigod because of Hekatrith, I could always scold her later.
Thus, I decided to refrain from protesting and focused my mind as I slipped into deep meditation.
“I’m almost there!”
Just when I was fully immersed in the tranquil quiet, I suddenly heard a voice, not from inside my head, but outside.
What was going on? I carefully opened my eyes and saw a young bat with a snorkel flying right in front of me.
-Gelgel! I am Diver!
“……”
Is his name Diver because he’s wearing a snorkel? Such shallow creativity.
Nonetheless, the tiny bat was quite cute, so I scratched its head with my finger.
Diver grinned like my owner and then quickly regained focus.
“This isn’t the time for this! Look over there!”
Following the bat’s gaze, I turned my head.
I found myself gasping in amazement. I couldn’t help it; the sight before me was astonishing.
“A castle?”
Under the bright sun shining in the blue sky, a vast plain stretched out, and in the middle stood a gigantic pink castle.
It could very well be called a ‘princess’s castle.’
“What is this place?”
“This is a space that implements your inner world through magical power!”
“…Are you saying I have such a princess’s castle inside me?”
-Gelgel! Surprisingly, many adult women still hold onto a sense of feminine sentimentality!
“……”
That was making me feel a bit strange.
“In any case, you will gain enlightenment based on this scenery!”
The words sound simple, but the landscape presented was too bewildering for me to grasp.
Still, I calmly attempted to analyze the situation.
First, the sun hovering in the clear sky must represent the Goddess. This was an intuitive piece of information.
Meanwhile, the beautiful trees and flowers blooming in the plain are likely the beings blessed by the sun. In other words, they represent the many followers of the Goddess.
That’s as far as my quick deductions went.
‘…But I have no idea what that tower is.’
I had no clue what the tower signified. While it was pink, suggesting a connection to me, I couldn’t decipher its specific symbolism.
I kept examining the tower and then asked the bat, “Can I go in and take a look?”
“Of course! Just keep in mind that you can only stay here for about ten minutes!”
Time available wasn’t that long; I needed to hurry.
“Sun Goddess, please shine your light upon my path.”
Surely the Goddess would be watching over me, so things would go well.
I firmly believed that.
*
Having regained some composure, Seo-yoon was at work on the third floor, where computers were set up, aided by Liam.
By the time afternoon rolled around, she had already completed all her tasks.
‘Upload finished.’
Seo-yoon just uploaded the video that Eluke had filmed in the Void onto iTube.
Then, after waiting for a moment, comments began to pour in.
-Here comes my tonic.
-Doing something interesting again, I see.
-Whoa, isn’t that a Dark Elf from the Tower of Hell?
-When did they become so friendly?
-It’s a void exploration, but it’s only the Dark Elf’s face that’s visible, lol.
Most reactions were positive.
Although there were more comments mentioning Wip, who appeared as a guide in the Void, the overall vibe was that the viewers were intrigued by the video.
After all, there had been no videos uploaded about the Void region before.
Just like the previous incidents surrounding the ‘Tower of Hell’ or the well-edited footage of calming the rampaging sword, there had been no prior supply of such content, making it fresh for the audience.
‘The first is indeed important.’
No matter how famous Eluke was as ‘the first returnee from Korea,’ there was no guarantee that the iTube channel would succeed.
iTube was a realm of survival of the fittest.
Even well-known celebrities won’t gain subscribers if their videos aren’t entertaining or are dull.
To survive in such a place, one needed to consistently upload videos that would pique people’s interest.
And Eluke was someone who possessed many things that other YouTubers could not show.
Seo-yoon checked the subscriber count on the ‘Eluke Pope’ channel.
[Subscribers: 270,000]
A number far exceeding the 100,000 needed for the ‘Silver Button.’
Yet, it still couldn’t be said to be many.
Though it showed significant growth, she hoped for even stronger momentum.
Seo-yoon already knew what the way to achieve that was. A brilliant idea she had jotted down in her smartphone notes a few months back came to mind.
[The first content in iTube history – Interview with a God]
‘With this… the views should skyrocket, right?’
It was an ace content that would rapidly grow the ‘Eluke Pope’ channel.