NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: The Goddess
[Day 0]
The mysterious woman’s form was a kaleidoscope of femininity, shifting from a plump mother to a slender and graceful maiden, from a loli to a towering behemoth of a woman. She also aged and regressed like phases of the moon. She was every woman and yet none, a myriad of contradictions.
“Miss, excuse me for asking a rude question, but,” he said and took a deep breath. “What are you? It’s like you’re my type but also not my type… do you even understand how grave of a sin you’re committing by making a man doubt his preferences?”
In the countless Isekai stories he’d devoured, the first arc typically featured a voluptuous beauty, destined to bestow the hero with overpowered abilities to fight the villains. The beauty inevitably succumbs to the hero’s charm and becomes a part of his harem.
Asahi’s reality, however, deviated sharply from this trope. Rather than empowering him, this goddess unceremoniously showed him the footage of his mother’s demise. Something was terribly wrong with this goddess’s mind, but it made for a more unpredictable-slash-thrilling time.
For a moment, she regarded him in silence, an inscrutable expression on her ever-so-shifting face. “I am Klyscha, the Goddess of Dreams.”
Skepticism furrowed his brow as he scrutinized the deity, whose appearance was reminiscent of a slime girl. “Isn’t Klyscha supposed to mean ‘Cliche’ in Swedish? What type of ‘cliche’ are you?”
He could comfortably read about a hundred languages, including Swedish. The goddess’ name seemed like a meme rather than an actual name. It was then that his eyes dilated and took in more light than usual. The silvery essence that cloaked her dripped down in chunks, as if she shed her skin.
He watched with bated breath as Klyscha revealed her true form. And he wasn’t disappointed.
The Goddess of Dreams manifested as a rather short and petite girl with messy silver hair and an impressive rack. A single, thick braid, adorned with a cute white ribbon, cascaded from her left side down to her knee.
Her outfit was something he’d never seen outside of cosplay events — a striped youthful blouse with loose short sleeves which put great emphasis on shapely tits. A red corset with three ribbons wrapped her from her waist. A playfully vibrant red skirt, and beneath them tight black stockings.
The strangest part was the cloak that doubled as her hood casting a shadow over her face. Her striking azure eyes sparkled with mischief, and her smile, though enchanting, carried an unsettling hint of madness.
She unironically gave the impression of an unhinged yandere.
‘Did she write that?’
From his experience of reading hundreds of stories, he could theorize a reasonable narrative — the goddess looked into his world, found his charming self, and fell in love with him. When her passion reached a boiling point, she killed him and brought his soul to her domain.
‘It can't be that simple, right?’
He was a suave, charming young master, and he was fully capable of capturing a goddess’ heart — if he could interact with them for a few weeks. He hadn’t reached a level where he could make a goddess fall for him by simply breathing.
He hadn’t transcended that level — yet.
‘Maybe she has a thing for talented lads like me.’
A feeling of excitement welled up in his chest. Regardless of how things reached this point, he was going to make the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and escape the monotony of his previous life.
“Goddess—”
Klyscha suddenly flipped her hood and something strange happened — her excited smile vanished into thin air, replaced by a serious, almost emotionless expression. “I.. I am Klyscha. Not cliche.”
Asahi felt his heart skip a beat. He had seen many women in his life, but the goddess’ cuteness transcended everything in existence. Her being a stalker yandere was a cherry on top.
He cleared his throat. “Did I hallucinate your smile?”
She glanced away briefly then silently nodded her head. She was lying, that much he could tell from her body language.
“Are you legal?”
“I…” She stuttered. “Am seventeen…”
“So am I. Is that a coincidence?”
She once again nodded, however, this time she didn’t look away. Instead, she stared into his eyes as if intimidating into accepting her age. “I’m seventeen.”
The intensity of her voice revealed a threat in disguise.
“A seventeen year old goddess… only a retard will trust you on that.”
But Asahi couldn’t care less about the threats coming from a cute goddess and openly spoke his mind. She saw something in him, and that something propelled her into bringing him into her domain.
What’s more, she would look down on him if he acted differently from his usual self.
‘Acting like a little bitch just isn’t in my blood.’
He expected her to argue with him or do something drastic. Her reaction was unexpected — her eyes turned watery.
Asahi had read the Ten Loli Commandments but never firmly believed in its magic — until today. The eighth commandment — “Should Thou make a Loli cry… Die” — resonated with him on a spiritual level. He felt like he committed a crime worthy of death by making Klyscha cry.
“Geez, don’t cry, okay?” His voice softened as he reached out, gently wiping away the tears from her face. “I’ll give you a loll—never mind me. There is no candy shop nearby.”
She rapidly shook her head and stepped away from him. “There is no need. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You look quite overwhelmed.”
“It’s because of you—” She caught herself mid-sentence, her eyes widening. “Wait, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not crying because of you—”
“It’s fine.” He chuckled warmly and placed a hand on her head before gently running his fingers through her silky hair. “Take it easy.”
She crossed her arms and pouted, looking like the most adorable thing in the world. Only after seeing her reaction did he realize his actions — he was patting the head of the goddess of dreams as if she was his little sister. Though she didn’t seem to mind the intimate gesture one bit.
‘Guess I’m too good at this.’
She waved her hand and changed the surroundings with her divine power. A radiant sun emerged on the horizon, illuminating a newly birthed forest. Birds chirped melodically, flitting between trees and the azure sky. What was once a dark void now mirrored a perfect picnic spot.
Klyscha puffed her chest at Asahi’s stunned state. “This scene is what you wanted to see...”
“You… are so cute.” Asahi’s hands flew and embraced her unnaturally warm body. She felt like his hug pillow, but far more comfortable to hold. He couldn’t help but spin around with her in his arms. “Thank you, Klyscha.”
He hadn’t touched grass for so long that he yearned for some fresh air, and she fulfilled his wish with the wave of her hand.
‘Goddesses are awesome.’
Klyscha struggled to break free from his merry-go-round. After several seconds, she settled down and spread her arms with a barely noticeable smile, enjoying the moment alongside him.
After a while, he noticed her eyes spinning as if she was feeling dizzy from spinning too much. He put her down and rubbed his cheeks against her smooth cheeks.
‘This is pure bliss.’
His morals of ‘Not forcing any girl’ were crumbling in the face of this cute creature. “Can I hire you to become my hug pillow? Having such a nice hug pillow will motivate me to sleep early every day, which will make me live a healthier life.”
She pushed him away and slapped her cheeks, as if trying to shake away the dizziness. “I’m a human, not a pillow!”
“Human? Aren’t you a goddess?”
She glanced away and waved her hand. A pristine set of tables and chairs appeared out of thin air. She faded into particles and teleported to the chair behind Asahi.
Assuming a serious expression, she tilted her head back and crossed her arms. “Are you ready to learn more about this?”
He nonchalantly walked to the chair and rested his butt. “Before that, tell me something: why did you show me my mother’s death?”
