I Became the Only Reptile in the Community

Chapter 36

—–CROW—– 

“Strange. I thought you wouldn’t know.”

The world was dyed in darkness. Like losing his sight, all he could see before him was a bottomless abyss. The voice emanating from within was clearly filled with curiosity directed at him.

“Perhaps you could tell me? How did you know I wasn’t Rine?”

“[Because Rine, unlike you, is a true goddess.]”

“Haha. You make it sound like I’m not a goddess.”

It wasn’t simply that the surroundings were shrouded in darkness.  Even when he conjured flames, there was no visual change.  It was best to give up on seeing with his eyes.  Since he couldn’t see, he needed to sharpen his other senses to compensate.

As he closed his now useless eyes and focused on his other senses, the figure moved.

“I am a goddess, you know? It’s just that the domain I govern is different from Rine’s.”

Their voice echoed from all directions in the invisible darkness.  He had thought his hearing would be the most useful sense for locating them after his sight, but they had immediately countered that.  This way, he couldn’t pinpoint their location.

“Hmm. This stage will do.”

*Snap*

“[Ugh!]”

Just as he was pondering how to overcome this situation, a light snap of their fingers brought a bright light into the darkness-filled world.

“As expected. This suits my aesthetic sense.”

As the light entered, he saw a completely different space.  The same blackness as before painted the surroundings, as if shadows were enveloping him, but this time, it formed beautiful patterns, like a painting.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“[……]”

“Ah~ are you sulking because you haven’t heard my name yet? I’m Irine.”

*Swoosh*

“The goddess who governs darkness and chaos.”

“[The exact opposite of Rine.]”

As Irine spoke, spreading her wings dramatically, he recalled Rine’s appearance and compared the similarities and differences between them.  First, their appearance.  Their hair, eyes, and overall atmosphere created by their attire were different, but their faces alone were so similar they could pass for twins.  Or perhaps they really were twins, or something similar?

“Rine shares the same origin as me, so it’s natural we’d be similar, right?”

‘…She read my mind again.’

More importantly, shared the same origin? What did that mean?

“So, how’s the gallery?”

The same question as before, but with a clearly different meaning. He frowned and answered, “[You’ve imitated it perfectly, damn it.]”

“Heehee! Thanks for the compliment.”

“[Did you create the gallery alone?]”

“Nope. I just provided the idea. Rine is the one who made it.”

It probably wasn’t a lie.  But he found it hard to believe.  Rine creating the gallery?  Perhaps the image he saw in the game was just an act.

“Ah, that’s not it. Rine is as boring as you know her to be.”

“[Then why?]”

“Why? Because for a boring person, there’s no simpler solution than majority rule.”

Irine displayed the gallery screen on her hand as she spoke.  “The initial design wasn’t in this gallery format. It was more like the group chat rooms you’re used to.”

*Buzz*

A familiar yellow screen appeared in her other hand. Hundreds, thousands of people were posting messages, creating additional chat rooms, and having private conversations.

‘That’s the initial design.’

If he wasn’t mistaken, Rine must have designed it herself.

“Correct.  Your intuition is disgustingly good.”

Why? Why did she suggest creating the gallery? Why something so addictive that it made people waste their time?

“Because it’s fun.”

“[You suggested the gallery just for that?]”

“I also govern chaos, you know. The chat room Rine was trying to create? It looked good on the surface, but it was super strict.  Even a slight slip-up with profanity would result in a warning. So, everyone else sided with me.”

*Clink*

“But what about the gallery? Who would regulate them even if they exposed their desires? The maintenance test? Honestly, it’s only because they don’t remember it, but it simply checks whether they’ve crossed the line humans shouldn’t cross.  Those who fail the maintenance test can be considered the dregs of humanity.”

“[But because of that, countless people are wasting their time in the gallery.]”

“But it’s fun, isn’t it?”  She tilted her head as if asking what the problem was.  “I don’t see the problem.”

“[……]”

“Especially you, of all people, shouldn’t treat me like this. You’ve maintained your sanity thanks to me.”

Without the gallery, he might have gone insane without any human contact.  Yes, he admitted it. But even if it had been Rine’s chat room instead of the gallery, things would have been different.

“Would they, though?”

Irine, having read his thoughts, disagreed.

“It’s because it was the gallery that you became interested in the people there. You’re called the Gallery Master, and people like and are interested in your posts.  But do you think that would have happened in Rine’s chat room?”

*Flick*

Irine extended her index fingers on both hands, forming an X.

“No. You wouldn’t have received any attention.”

As if to illustrate her point, someone who looked like him posted a message in the chat room Irine created. But within 10 seconds, the message was quickly buried under a flood of other messages and forgotten.  Irine, not satisfied, tried posting a picture, but it was blocked by the chat room’s security system.

“See? Do you think you would be the same if you were in a chat room where no one paid attention to you?”

He couldn’t answer definitively.  He wasn’t confident in his own answer. He knew, deep down, that Irine was right.

“Let’s be honest. My actions helped you, didn’t they?”

“[Yes.]”

Irine approached him and wrapped him around her neck.  He was surprised that he had been so easily manipulated without a chance to react, but he also realized that she was indeed a goddess.  And, unlike before, there was a strange… feeling.

“Since my actions helped you, shouldn’t you help me in return?”

“[…What do you want from me?]”

What could a goddess possibly want from him?  Looking into her abyss-like black eyes, he felt as if he was being sucked into them. He barely managed to avert his gaze, focusing on her nose and lips instead of her eyes.  As if waiting for this, she stroked his right eye and said, “Could you give me your red eye?”

“[……]”

“I’ve always wanted beautiful eyes like yours.  Yes! Let’s exchange eyes. What do they call it?  Couple rings?  Since we’re exchanging eyes, would it be couple eyes?”

She was crazy.  Even for a goddess, this was too much.  Asking to exchange eyes?  She seemed to be missing a screw… or several.  He broke out in a cold sweat and replied, “[Okay.]”

‘…Not.’

…Wait. What did he just say?  If he hadn’t misheard, he had just agreed to that insane proposal. What was this?

“Right? I knew you’d like it!”

She must have used some kind of trick.  Her slender fingers reached towards his eye without hesitation. He gritted his teeth as her fingers got closer.

‘Damn it! What kind of crazy goddess is this?!’

At this rate, she was really going to gouge out his eye. Exchanging eyes with a strange goddess who resembled Rine?!  And judging by how she was going straight for his eye with her fingers, she wasn’t even planning on using anesthetic!  He might have done a lot of crazy things, but he wasn’t about to have his eye gouged out without anesthetic!

“I’ll do it quickly so it won’t hurt!”

Just as her fingers were about to touch his eye…

[The Gallery Maintenance Test has ended.]

[Returning to your original location.]

A light of salvation descended upon him.

***

*Pop*

“Ah, I’m back.”

The Gallery Maintenance Test had a time limit.  El was forcibly returned as the time ran out.  The goddess, now alone, clicked her tongue in disappointment and waved her hand at the spot where he had been.

*Crackle. Tzzzzt*

“Honestly, Rine. I said I was sorry. And Irine, stop bothering her. You imitated Rine’s appearance too.”

The goddess, pouting as if she was sulking, began to transform.  Her black hair turned into a glossy gray, and her eyes became the same color, with a white and black diamond-shaped pattern at the center of each pupil. Her attire also changed from goddess-like to a shabby gray tracksuit, making her look like a bum.  She spoke bluntly to the two beings who were bothering her.

“…Both of you are weaklings, yet you’re so possessive.”

*Crackle! Tzzzzt!*

“Ouch! I’m sorry! Kishine was wrong!”

—–CROW—–