System vs Rebirth

Noel was still in a state of shock, not knowing what had just happened. He couldn't help but wonder why he kneeled.

It felt like the person before him had a status so high that it was only natural for him to kneel. There was an indescribable feeling that wanted him to submit.

Noel's body was shaking as if he were trying to resist it. He didn't mind kneeling for a lord. At the end of the day, he still had to acknowledge the royal family.

But it was unpleasant to kneel before someone he didn't even know.

As if knowing his thoughts, the person suddenly said, "Don't play around too much, Ardagan. I'm thankful for your loyalty, but look at our little friend here… He is uncomfortable."

"!!!" Noel widened his eyes in shock. After that, he suddenly stopped feeling that weird sensation and could actually lift up his head, finding a man standing in front of him.

The man had short, blond hair and a pair of golden eyes that dimly glowed. He looked mature and gentle as if he were looking at a kid. But the one that shocked him the most was the aura this person had. It gave him a reassuring feeling, but it also made Noel feel like there was an insurmountable wall before him.

"Who—Gah!" Noel couldn't continue. There was nothing behind him, but it felt like he was being strangled from behind, as if someone was telling him not to be rude.

"It's fine, Ardagan. He is Milinda's descendant and doesn't know anything about me. Besides, he's the person you choose."

"!!!" Noel glanced to the back, finding no one. It appeared that Ardagan was within him, doing all this. The fact that he knew Ardagan meant he was related to him in any way. He even mentioned his ancestor. "Are you… my ancestor?"

"Mhmm…" The person rubbed his chin as if contemplating it seriously. "Well, I guess I should introduce myself first to make you understand quickly. I'm what you call Spirit God."

"!!!" Noel dropped his jaws to the ground, staring at him in disbelief. At the same time, he said it so casually that it was hard to deny it. The fact that Ardagan didn't do anything means he should be telling the truth.

After all, Ardagan was created by the Spirit God.

Still, this was the first time he saw the Spirit God. He never thought the Spirit God would look like a human. At the same time, he understood that he was a humanoid spirit. Yet Heisk didn't look completely like a human. Even the Thunder Berserker Spirit had a humanoid body but still retained some body parts that didn't come from humans, like his horns.

He never thought that the man before him was actually the Spirit God.

'He looks… too ordinary… No, wait. There is that ethereal feeling from him…' Noel gulped down as he couldn't help but think, 'Is he matching the human appearance so that it's easier to talk to me? But why would I meet the Spirit God?'

Noel fell silent for a moment before saying, "I greet the Spirit God. I'd like to thank you for allowing me to possess two spirits. They have helped me a lot."

A smile formed on the Spirit God's face. "Is that so? In that case, why do you sound like you are not attached to them?"

"That's…" Noel became hesitant once he knew the other party's identity. At the same time, he never thought he would meet the Spirit God in this way. It was a bit lackluster, but it actually gave him a more easygoing atmosphere, which allowed for light-hearted conversation to happen.

"I've been watching you. You are someone who thinks about a lot of things. Why don't you show me your thoughts? I'll allow it."

Noel hesitated for another few seconds before deciding to open his mouth. "It's because I have died. The scenery before me is amazing, yet it looks like a fairy tale. The fact that Ardagan has some influence on my body makes me realize that this is not my world.

"From that alone, I believe that this is an afterlife. However, I still can't confirm whether this is a spirit world or not. If yes, then is it possible for the humans who have died to actually come to this place after they die?

"More importantly, it's your existence. Despite the connection between my world and the spirit world, I have come to realize that you have been treating both sides fairly.

"There are two reasons. First of all, every human has a spirit inside their body, which has already given them the possibility to rise through the ranks. The same applies to the spirit. Even if they are at the lowest rank, if humans continue to grow, they will also do the same.

"The second reason is that… they were my partners before I died. If this is an afterlife, I don't think it's appropriate to call them that way anymore.

"Instead, I should focus on building a different type of relationship, one that is equal with them. I believe that's how I can repay them for helping me from the beginning." Noel explained everything in his mind.

The Spirit God's expression mellowed a bit as though he were satisfied with the answer.

"If I say… you can go back to the world of living, what will you do?"

"!!!" Noel widened his eyes. Obviously, he wanted to go back and meet Anna again. There were still a lot of things they hadn't done. He wanted to make more memories with her until the end of time. But when he opened his mouth, the words stuck in his tongue.

There was one concern that crept into his heart. He said, "I don't know. I'd be happy to know if I could go back to the world of living. But that depends on the circumstances. Would I become someone different? What kind of price would a person who has died need to pay to return?"

The Spirit God smiled. "In that case, I'll change my question. Why do you think you are here?"

"Why am I here?" Noel tilted his head in confusion. If this was the afterlife, it was only natural for him to be here.

But the Spirit God actually asked him a reason. There were multiple possibilities, such as the fact that he wasn't dead or in a state of pseudo-death currently.

Noel thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm afraid I don't know the answer."

The Spirit God closed his eyes while saying, "Ardagan."

Ardagan responded by showing a screen panel.

[Mission Complete.]

[Mission: Fighting the Unknown. (Completed)]

[Description: An unknown danger is looming in the area. Overrelying on the system is bad. Figure out the unknown and defeat it with your own strength.]

[Reward: ???]

"Huh?" Noel widened his eyes. "But I didn't defeat the spider."

"It seems that you still don't understand." The Spirit God chuckled. "I'll give you a clue. What will the spider do to recover?"

"Using spiritual energy to recover… No, before it's a demon, it's an animal." Noel suddenly gasped. "Don't tell me… Shedding skin?!"

The Spirit God's lips curved a little bit.

'Shedding skin… It's a process to remove the dead/damaged body. The spider sheds their hard-exterior exoskeleton, which allows the spider to grow and replace its exoskeleton with a fresher model. It's called Molting. For several animals, shedding their skins is like a rebirth…' Noel sucked a cold breath, not believing what was actually happening.

"It seems that you understand why you managed to complete the mission." The Spirit God nodded gently.

"That's…" Noel didn't expect that the reward was related to the Spirit God. On the one hand, the fact that the spider was molting meant it didn't follow Anna. On the other hand, it also meant that the spider would fully recover from its injury after some time.

While he was still worried about it, he couldn't help but wonder why the Spirit God mentioned him returning to the living world and showing this mission.

'Is the reward about revival or something? He is a god, so that might be possible. But even in the Moon Temple, I have only heard about Heaven and Hell, nothing about Reincarnation or Revival. Even Anna is manipulating time to a different timeline.'

As if reading his thoughts, the Spirit God chuckled.

"Indeed. Meeting me is a part of your reward, but this time, it's not the actual reward. Your reward for defeating that spider is…"