Technically, during the process of "world harmonization," a person's senses are supposed to be blurred.
Much like how a blind person perceives the world, they might hear sounds, smell scents, and even sense a general presence, but they are never meant to face it with such concrete clarity. Even most priests in this world, when casting magic, only sense their deity as a massive, colored mass of power rather than a distinct, humanoid figure. At the very least, it was never as vivid as what Calca saw now.
The girl instinctively scanned her surroundings, and for a moment, an inexplicable terror crawled up her spine.
Everything was pitch black. She could feel an invisible, writhing motion in the void. Yet, in every direction—up, down, left, right—she felt a profound sense of space that seemed to stretch on forever. The world felt both eerily claustrophobic and terrifyingly vast.
The only thing offering Calca any comfort was the figure in front of her, humming a little tune and radiating a soft white light: the Wind God. Or rather, the player of old—Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow.
In this situation, Calca didn't even dare to take a step. It was like standing on a transparent walkway thousands of feet in the air; in the real world, you might know there's glass under your feet, but here, she had no such certainty.
Driven by a sudden spike of primal fear, Calca instinctively wanted to leave. A thought bubbled up in her mind, telling her that the way out was simple: she just had to concentrate and hold onto the desire to return.
She adjusted her thoughts and took several deep breaths, slowly smoothing over her panic. But once she calmed down, she wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, she began to observe the figure of Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow.
He was sitting cross-legged on the "ground," humming and swaying slightly to the rhythm of his own song, looking very much like a living person. But Calca knew he was dead; that was a fact established by Maruyama himself.
In this world, even a Level 100 human player couldn't escape the limits of a natural lifespan, though there were ways to extend it. One could only assume that as a Paladin, Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow hadn't possessed as many life-extending options as a magic caster might—especially since their power was essentially granted to them "out of thin air."
Calca looked him up and down and quickly realized why he—and she—could stand in this void. Invisible forces were surging beneath them, supporting their weight.
Noticing this, Calca's eyes flickered with a mix of curiosity and calculation. She suddenly wanted to get closer to him—to touch him, if possible.
In theory, Calca had already achieved her goal. She had experienced world harmonization, seen the "god" she worshipped, and likely possessed a clearer mental image of the divine than any other divine caster in existence.
But since she could leave whenever she wanted just by willing it, why not try to push her luck?
For a divine caster, the "assistance" of their god was a crucial factor. In fact, it was the very presence of these deities that lowered the barrier to entry for the priest class. While the standards were still higher than those for a basic warrior, the divine "shortcut" was undeniable.
If she could make contact with the Wind God, wouldn't that make her a "God-Blessed" individual?
Calca looked down at her feet. The pitch-black abyss seemed like a gaping maw waiting to swallow her. The girl took a deep breath and, in a half-comforting, half-joking tone, whispered to herself, "Please, old man, don't let this be a 'back-view killer' situation."
She didn't want to walk all that way only for him to turn around and reveal a rotting, maggot-infested face. If that happened, she'd run straight to the arcane magic department the very next day.
Calca rose onto her tiptoes. She didn't take a bold leap like a protagonist in an Indiana Jones movie to test for a transparent bridge; instead, she crept forward.
She advanced only half a foot at a time, keeping her center of gravity tightly controlled while mentally chanting: There is a path, there is a path. Her tension and anxiety reached a fever pitch.
Whether it was her willpower or the logic of this space, the solid sensation beneath her feet remained unchanged as she moved. It truly felt as though an invisible road existed.
As she continued to experiment, Calca grew bolder. Once she was certain the floor wouldn't suddenly shatter and send her plunging into the depths, she began to circle around, trying to catch a glimpse of his face from the side.
Even though the "back-view killer" was just a figment of her imagination, the possibility felt dangerously high in her mind. If it were real, the psychological trauma would be unacceptable.
She cautiously adjusted her angle, using the corner of her eye to monitor the player's condition. Confirming that everything looked normal, she breathed a sigh of relief and moved to stand directly in front of him.
After what felt like ages of shuffling, she finally stood before him. There was no jump scare, no sudden shift. Even though she was right in front of him, he continued to hum his song, appearing like a blurry afterimage left behind by a hero of the past.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
I'm not the Queen Greatsword. (41 Chapters, Ongoing)
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Calca looked at the blue-haired youth whose features were shrouded in a hazy glow. He sat cross-legged in the void, humming, seemingly immersed in the happiest moments of his life.
After a moment's hesitation, Calca slowly reached out her left hand. Because of her small child's body, even the seated player towered over her; her palm only reached the level of his chest.
The moment she touched him, a brilliant light erupted from the youth, illuminating the entire pitch-black void. Calca instinctively shielded her eyes with her right hand, but she left a small gap between her fingers to see what was happening.
At that moment, a stream of milky-white light converged from the figure's body and flowed through Calca's left hand, merging into her. Calca instinctively tried to pull away, but in the next heartbeat, the world shifted.
Calca opened her eyes and looked around. She was back in the small chapel where she had begun the ritual. The nuns were all kneeling beside her, hands clasped in fervent, ecstatic prayer toward the statue of the Wind God. Even High Priestess Mariana was doing the same.
The High Priestess's expression was usually composed, but she couldn't hide her excitement when she saw Calca wake up. She immediately took Calca's hands into her own. At this moment, Mariana's face was the picture of piety; she pressed Calca's joined hands against her own brow, praying incessantly.
"O God, Your servant has heard Your oracle. We shall devotedly teach Your Saint, assisting her as she walks upon this earth. We shall guard her with loyalty and cherish her..."
As Mariana prayed, the other nuns joined in. For a moment, the small chapel felt as if it were filled by a choir dedicated solely to the Wind God. Calca watched the scene, and while she didn't know exactly what had transpired in the void, she realized she had accidentally caused a massive scene.
Nearby, priests who were teaching the other princes and princesses heard the commotion and rushed over. They stood at the doorway, staring in confusion at the spectacle.
Calca didn't explain—or rather, she didn't have the mental capacity to do so. She had just discovered a faint, azure magic circle shimmering in her mind. It felt as though she could trigger it with a single thought.
And so, she did.
Without warning or incantation, Calca followed her intuition and naturally spoke the name of the spell.
"[Cure Light Wounds]"
A green glow, the symbol of life, blossomed from Calca's body. At that moment, even the priests at the door realized the gravity of the situation. Their eyes widened, their pupils shrinking in shock.
In this world, without a teacher—even if one had prior knowledge—it was impossible for a priest to cast a First-Tier spell immediately after their first harmonization. Healing magic, in particular, was the most difficult of the First-Tier spells to master.
It required precise mana control and the mental drafting of a complex magic circle. These things usually required years of study and practice. Most magic casters began with "Tier Zero" utility spells; casting a First-Tier spell was something achieved only after long periods of training.
But they were certain Calca had no such training. Yet, she had just effortlessly cast the most difficult spell of the First Tier. The priests were speechless. This could no longer be explained by mere talent; it was a miracle.
The priests at the door looked at the High Priestess kneeling and holding Calca's hands. They were dying to know what kind of divine manifestation had occurred, but none of them dared to step inside and interrupt the High Priestess's prayer. They could only stand there, exchanging bewildered glances.
Inside the room, the prayers grew even more fervent, but Calca was in a daze. Thanks to her Mana Affinity, she could clearly sense that her internal mana reserves hadn't been touched. Instead, the image of Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow had flashed in her mind, and a surge of mana had spontaneously manifested from the air around her.
The spell had been a success. Furthermore, after the casting, Calca had a vague sensation—a "daily limit" feeling. It seemed her quota for the day was used up, and if she wanted to do it again, she would have to wait until tomorrow.
Tomorrow... which means I actually pulled it off?!
Calca looked down at her left hand, which was currently being held tightly by Mariana. It didn't take a genius to realize that this "mana-free fixed spell slot" was the gift granted by that stream of light.
If she were a true believer of the Wind God, she would likely be moved to tears of gratitude, her faith reaching new heights. But Calca was a transmigrator. To her, Brilliant Angel Cat-Meow was more like a legendary senior or a reliable "bro."
Consequently, her current thought was quite simple: Can I fleece this bro for a little more? Just a bit?