SWNOVELXO Chapter 97
I let out a deep sigh as I looked around. The scenery was no different from the last time I was dragged here after dying in that carriage accident.
‘If you die while your subscription period is still active…’
You have to give up one of your divine cards!
I quickly opened my card inventory to review my options:
– **It’s a Gut Feeling! (Legendary):** Greatly increases intuition
– **50/50 Coin Bonanza (Mythic):** 50% discount at the Heaven Market
– **You’re Quite Charming! (Heroic):** Easily gain favor
– **Do You Know the Way? (Legendary):** Greatly increases persuasiveness
– **Let’s Go! (Heroic):** Powerful cheer effect
All of them were top-tier cards with exceptional abilities.
‘Giving up one of these…!’
The thought of losing one of these cards filled me with dread, sapping any motivation I had to get up. Whether Serlus knew how I felt or not, he continued chattering away with his usual exuberance.
“Unfortunately, you’ve died again, dear subscriber. But don’t worry! As I mentioned before, Heaven guarantees the full extension of your subscription period, thanks to your Heaven Coins!”
“Yeah, yeah…”
“And you already know the penalty, right? Just hand over one of your Heaven Cards, and we’ll reconstruct your body good as new!”
“I remember…”
While I felt like I wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it, Serlus was as cheerful as ever. How could he be so happy when I’d just died? Grumbling internally, I forced myself to stand up. As annoying as this was, I couldn’t afford to waste time. Axel and Bael had witnessed my death, and I couldn’t imagine what they might be thinking right now.
“Fine. I’ll return one of the cards, right?”
All of them were valuable, but there were clearly better and worse ones among them. The “You’re Quite Charming!” (Heroic) card that helped me easily gain favor and the “Let’s Go!” (Heroic) card with its powerful cheer effect were both of Heroic rank, and I hadn’t found them particularly useful so far.
‘I can’t give up the Legendary cards, especially not “It’s a Gut Feeling!” (Legendary) or “50/50 Coin Bonanza (Mythic).’
Just as I finished making my decision…
Serlus threw a wrench in my plans.
“Please present all your cards! The card that will be returned to Heaven will be selected at random!”
“Random?”
That meant even “It’s a Gut Feeling!” (Legendary) or “50/50 Coin Bonanza (Mythic)” could be taken! This was unacceptable.
“You can’t do that! No way! You never mentioned anything about random selection! Where is that written?!”
I immediately threw myself to the ground. Last time, I managed to escape a tight spot by exploiting a loophole in the terms and conditions. This time, I was going to try the same tactic.
“Ha ha ha!”
But Serlus wasn’t fazed at all. It was as if he had anticipated this reaction. He laughed heartily.
“I knew you might try this again! So, we’ve prepared thoroughly! This is the newly revised! Terms and conditions for the ‘Reincarnation Subscription’ plan, personally consulted by the God of Law!”
With Serlus’s laughter, a massive scroll materialized in the air and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. It was incredibly thick.
I hadn’t even opened the scroll yet, but I could already tell it contained a massive amount of information. Slowly, I sat up and unrolled the scroll. As expected, the endless sheets were filled with tiny text, packed with countless clauses and conditions.
“Now, please direct your attention here!”
As I stared at it in shock, the scroll unfurled itself all the way to the end, as if it had a mind of its own. A single sentence stood out, glowing faintly in a soft blue light, as if inviting me to read it.
“Here it is, the section regarding the penalty for death and the collection of divine cards! See? It clearly states, ‘The collection of divine cards will be done randomly.’ You can see it plainly, can’t you?”
“……”
Hoping against hope, I carefully examined the sentences before and after, but true to its claim of being consulted by the God of Law, there were no loopholes. I clamped my mouth shut, frustration welling up inside me. Meanwhile, Serlus’s smug laughter echoed around me, clearly pleased with his victory.
‘Damn it!’
I pushed the scroll aside and started thinking. If it were just a matter of returning a card of my choice, that would be one thing, but having a card taken at random? Absolutely not. I had cards I couldn’t afford to lose!
I took a deep breath.
‘Not everyone in the world follows the rules.’
There are always a few people who manage to live outside the boundaries of the rules, either because they possess power or because they are protected by those who do. So, what about this place, Heaven? Could there be those here who enjoy benefits outside the strict regulations?
‘It’s worth a shot.’
If I did nothing, I’d lose a card randomly, no doubt about it. Even if the odds were slim, it was better to try something than just sit back and accept it. I clasped my hands together like I was about to donate Heaven Coins and closed my eyes tightly.
‘To all the gods in Heaven, I know you’re watching me right now. You must be aware that I’m in a dire situation. There’s a card I absolutely can’t afford to lose.’
There was no reply, of course. But I could sense the air around me shifting, a strange and complex ripple that indicated several gods were paying attention to me. Encouraged, I continued my plea.
‘I’m not asking for much. I’m willing to give up one card, no problem. But please, let me choose which card to give up, not at random. And of course, I’m not asking for this favor for free…’
I deliberately paused to build tension, then boldly declared,
‘If you help me, I’ll complete any one quest you give me, no questions asked!’
The moment I made that offer, the air around me erupted into a whirlwind. It was as if a storm had suddenly descended.
‘Whoa!’
I staggered, barely able to keep my balance, when suddenly, white flakes began to fall in front of me. But they weren’t snowflakes.
‘Paper?’
I reached out with effort and caught one of the swirling pieces of paper. Small, neat handwriting was scrawled across it.
*If you accept my quest, I’ll help you!*
– The God of Agriculture
‘Oh?’
I grabbed a few more pieces of paper and checked them. Each one had a similar message, though from different authors. So many notes were falling all at once that it had looked like snow for a moment. Seeing the frantic messages from the gods made the corners of my mouth twitch uncontrollably.
‘Got it.’
I found the perfect way out! I forced myself to suppress the smile that threatened to break out and, making sure they could hear, I muttered loudly, “Oh dear… so many of you are offering to help, but whom should I choose? I’d prefer to select someone who offers the easiest quest…”
No sooner had I spoken than even more notes rained down on me. It seemed the gods were now competing to send me notes with easier quests.
“Everyone, please calm down! The God of War? The Goddess of Commerce? Oh, even the God of Music over there?”
Serlus was frantically trying to calm the gods, but the flood of papers showed no signs of stopping.
I picked up a note from the ground, cleared my throat, and said, “Alright, let’s see what kind of quests you’re proposing.”
* * *
‘Ugh…’
I slowly opened my eyes.
‘Choosing the best quest took longer than I expected.’
The competition among the gods was far more intense than I had anticipated, making it difficult to pick just one.
Carefully, I tried to sit up, feeling a bit sore. Or at least, I tried to.
Thunk!
As soon as I raised my upper body, my forehead hit something hard, and I was forced to lie back down.
‘Huh?’
I blinked, trying to make sense of the situation, only to realize that my surroundings were shrouded in pitch-black darkness. I had thought my vision was just slow to return, but no—it wasn’t my vision. Everything around me was completely dark.
‘…What?’
What kind of situation was this?
I reached out tentatively, and my fingers brushed against the same hard surface that my forehead had hit. My mind raced, and a chilling thought suddenly crossed it.
‘…Am I in a coffin?’