Just as a Hero must defeat countless minions to face the Demon King, Greg thought he wouldn't encounter these Outer Gods until he reached the lowest floor. He hadn't expected to run into one now!
He didn't know Her exact strength, but Nightmare had said that compared to these beings, even the Demon King was just a commoner on the side of the road. That meant they were far more powerful than the final boss of the original story!
“I and the Goddess of Night, Nightmare, are irreconcilable enemies!” Greg said, his survival instinct kicking into high gear.
Last time, Hajimi told him seeing this vision was fine, but clearly, things had taken a turn for the worse!
He stared intently at the red-haired girl's back, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as he waited for her reaction. Perhaps a single glance would crush him, or a single thought would sink him to the bottom of the lake.
However, nothing happened.
The red-haired girl remained standing there silently, her back looking lonely.
Only the blood-red lake water continued to surge slowly and steadily.
“She didn't act immediately. Does that mean... we can talk?”
Greg suppressed his racing heart, swallowed hard, and spoke again cautiously:
“Um... Great, Noble, Supreme Mother of Fragmentation? Look, I'm just a tiny human who wandered in here by mistake. I absolutely, definitely meant no offense! Me and that stinky cat... I mean, that evil Goddess of Night, Nightmare—we're like oil and water, fundamentally opposed! Even if I have a bit of Her aura on me, you wouldn't take it out on me, right?”
He paused before continuing:
“So... could you do me a favor and be merciful... I mean, use your supreme power to... fish me out of this lake? This water... it's a bit cold after soaking for so long, and it smells a bit metallic. It's not very comfortable...”
The red-haired girl didn't look back; she only slowly shook her head.
The fake smile on Greg's face froze instantly, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
As expected, it wouldn't be that easy.
Is she planning to trap me here until I die?
Or is soaking in this blood lake a form of execution in itself?
Greg tried to channel his mana again, but the energy within him remained completely gone, leaving him unable to mount any effective resistance.
A sense of absolute helplessness enveloped him, cold as the lake water.
Greg let out a deep sigh. The feigned respect and flattery on his face gradually faded, replaced by a numb calm.
He looked up at the back of the dark red hair and spoke in a tone of resignation:
“Fine, I'll come clean. Actually, I'm just a fool sent by that stinky cat. Just give me a quick death. I'm ready.”
After saying that, he even closed his eyes, looking like he was offering his neck to the blade.
In reality, every muscle in his body was tense, ready to seize any possible chance to resist.
After all, he didn't want to kick the bucket before he could live a life of debauchery and excess!
However, he waited for several seconds, feeling only the sweet, metallic scent of the breeze blowing across the lake. The other party made no move.
Greg opened his eyes in confusion.
Ahead, the red-haired girl's back remained still as she slowly shook her head.
Greg: “...?”
She won't fish me out, but she won't kill me either?
What's wrong with this Outer God? Keeping me here just to look at the scenery?
Or... is there some other purpose?
An absurd thought flashed through his mind.
“It couldn't be... she's too lonely and just wants someone to talk to, right?”
The idea was ridiculous, but considering her reactions to his previous nonsense and her current strange behavior of neither saving nor killing him... it didn't seem entirely impossible.
It was a last-ditch effort.
Greg steadied himself and decided to test this line of thinking.
He cleared his throat and tried to make his voice sound less tense, adopting a conversational tone:
“Uh... so, you're alone... I mean, as a Goddess, staying in this place... do you occasionally feel a bit bored?”
After speaking, he waited tensely.
One second, two seconds.
With her back to him, the red-haired girl gave a slight nod.
Greg's heart skipped a beat!
I was right!?
But a moment later, a deeper chill ran down his spine.
Lonely... so keeping me here means she wants me to... stay with Her forever?!
“That's not good at all!”
Greg's scalp tingled.
He immediately changed the subject, not daring to delve deeper into the dangerous topic of “staying together”:
“Ahaha... well, the weather is quite nice today. The sky is red, the lake is red... the color palette is very unique...”
The red-haired girl neither nodded nor shook her head; she just stood there silently.
“Those clothes you're wearing are quite nice. They have a... classical beauty to them. You must like them, right?”
A nod.
“You've been standing here this whole time. Are you... looking at the scenery? Or waiting for someone?”
A nod.
Greg's mind was a mess, but his mouth didn't stop.
Since she was willing to communicate, he had to seize this opportunity to gather more information and find a possible turning point.
He started rambling about anything and everything, focusing on the red-haired girl and the blood-red space, not daring to mention leaving or life-and-death matters again.
“Is this lake... real? Or is it a projection of your consciousness?”
A shake of the head, then a nod.
“Are you... trapped here? Or do you just not want to leave?”
A nod, then a slow shake of the head.
“Do you know how to leave this place? I mean, this... space?”
No response.
“Then... is there any way for me to leave the lake? Or at least, move a bit? Soaking for this long feels like kneeling on a washboard; my legs are getting numb...”
No response.
Time slipped away during their back-and-forth.
From his initial testing, Greg realized she didn't seem to intend to kill him immediately and was willing to engage in this crude form of communication. His mindset began to shift subtly.
He started talking more freely, from criticizing the aesthetics of the space to guessing the Mother of Fragmentation's preferences.
He even joked:
“Your hair is so well-maintained. Do you have any tips to share? I know a girl with a hair color similar to yours.”
As soon as he said it, Greg felt it might have been too flirtatious again, and he braced himself for another wave.
But this time, the lake surface remained calm.
Greg let out a sigh of relief.
“It seems because I've talked to Her so much, we're getting a bit chummy. She's starting to lose the heart to punish me for every little thing.”
“Looking at it this way, Outer Gods aren't so bad after all!”
Rate on N.U.
