I'm a Goddess to Be Devoured by the Protagonist - Chapter 62

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 62
But why was I so aware of how close our bodies were?
The solid warmth of him beneath those thin layers of cloth.
Heat crept into my face without permission.
I wrestled with it for a moment, then decided sleep was my only escape. Staying conscious here felt impossible.
How much time passed like that, I couldn’t say.
“Did you sleep well?”
Sirius asked with shameless composure, his face luminous from such deep rest.
“I did sleep some, but… why are you still holding me?”
“It seemed I was holding you unconsciously. You’re warm.”
If anything, Sirius ran hotter than I did. How could I be the warm one?
“Thanks to you, I had a pleasant dream.”
“What kind of dream was it?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”
Did he really have secrets he couldn’t share with me?
Curiosity stirred in me, but he clearly didn’t want to speak of it, so I let it pass.
“Could we sleep together like this again?”
How was I supposed to answer that?
“…Yes.”
What mattered was that Sirius didn’t have nightmares. Compared to that, my Divine Authority meant nothing.
* * *
As I browsed the World App that morning, searching for a world worth exploring, I stumbled upon something.
[%$#@#]
A world with a distinctly strange name.
And what reflected in its thumbnail was…
What was this doing here?
A gaping wound in reality itself, jagged and torn.
It was the shape of a Dungeon.
The same Dungeon I’d seen in Sirius’s world.
“Oh no, Goddess! What do we do!”
Hammy’s eyes went wide with alarm at the sight.
“What’s wrong?”
“An Evil Deity has appeared in the Divine Realm!”
Excuse me?
I’d dealt with one Evil Deity, and now another one surfaced in the Divine Realm.
What kind of situation was this?
The shock hit me like a physical blow.
What was I supposed to do about this?
“Can Evil Deities appear in the Divine Realm too?”
“Yes. They show up occasionally.”
Hammy continued.
“The World App is like a gateway to worlds that actually exist somewhere in the Divine Realm.”
So why was a Dungeon entrance sitting openly in that gateway… Ah, right. The gods had grown tired of the Hero Games too.
“When something like this happens, is there no god with the duty to step forward?”
“Unfortunately not…”
I had no idea how the Divine Realm still functioned at all. By rights it should have collapsed long ago.
Anyway, I couldn’t leave this alone. I had to go clear it immediately.
But I knew almost nothing about Dungeons. Even having read the original work that featured them—The Journey—I’d learned precious little.
So I needed someone who knew Dungeons well.
“Sirius, a Dungeon has appeared in the Divine Realm. And an Evil Deity is with it.”
“Is that truly so?”
Disbelief crossed Sirius’s face—the expression of someone who knew just how terrible an Evil Deity was.
I forced my reluctant lips to form the words and made my request.
“Sirius, will you clear the Dungeon with me?”
“Of course.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he agreed to help me.
“Even though I still can’t tell you what will appear in the Dungeon ahead of time, like before?”
“Yes. I cannot leave you to face danger alone. I want to go with you.”
“Thank you.”
With reliable support at my side, warmth blossomed in my chest.
“Then I’ll move us to the Dungeon entrance right now.”
We couldn’t afford to delay—if the Dungeon’s entrance shifted into a vortex form, it would complicate everything. We needed to clear it as quickly as possible.
I took Sirius’s arm and nodded, then together we moved to the world where the Dungeon lay.
As my vision shifted, the Dungeon’s form came into view.
“This is…… no matter how I look at it, this is a Dungeon.”
“Isn’t it?”
Sirius scanned the Dungeon’s entrance, then spoke. His eyes confirmed it without doubt—this was undeniably a Dungeon.
“Then I’ll go in.”
I nodded and followed behind Sirius as he stepped into the Dungeon.
Creak.
The moment we crossed the threshold, a sickening sound emanated from beneath my feet, and I jumped back with a start.
“The floor is quite deteriorated. We should be careful.”
The floor is deteriorated?
Puzzled, I slowly surveyed the surroundings. This Dungeon wasn’t outdoors—it was the interior of some building.
The abandoned-mansion-like space had very little light.
What stood out was the abundance of white mannequins scattered throughout.
Unclothed mannequins. Partially dressed mannequins. Mannequins in tattered clothes.
In one corner, countless severed arms were piled high.
To be honest, it was terrifying.
Despite the lack of light, the white mannequins were eerily visible. The atmosphere was genuinely unsettling.
“Sirius. Um, would it be okay if I hid behind you?”
“Of course.”
I abandoned whatever divine pride I had and pressed close behind Sirius, following at his heels.
“Are you frightened?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
Yet Sirius neither mocked me nor made light of it.
Our Sirius really was kind-hearted.
Still, I should try not to be a burden on him.
Suddenly!
A white mannequin arm jutted out abruptly from the wall.
For all my resolve not to be a burden, I grasped his clothes and let out an internal scream.
Sirius looked at me, and then…….
He lifted me into a Princess Carry.
What? All of a sudden?
I was about to protest and ask to be put down immediately, but I couldn’t. The steady comfort of his embrace enveloped me.
“How is it that someone as fearful as you managed to rescue me from the Evil Deity?”
“Because that wasn’t scary.”
The Evil Deity was disgusting to look at, but not frightening.
“And I didn’t have time to worry about myself when you were in danger.”
At that, warmth kindled in Sirius’s eyes.
“Thank you for saving me then.”
“It’s nothing. I was just doing what needed to be done.”
“But you were attacked by the Evil Deity and were out of contact for an entire month.”
“That was just me sleeping. It really wasn’t a big deal.”
“Still, you lost a whole month of time because of me.”
“But I don’t regret it.”
At my firm words, Sirius said nothing more. He merely gazed at me with warmth.
That’s when it happened.
“So we just need to clear this Dungeon, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. If we clear the Dungeon, the Sun’s reputation in the Divine Realm should rise. Probably.”
A different deity’s voice shattered the tender moment.
It was a voice I recognized.
It belonged to Tikkul and his companions, by the sound of it.
So there was a deity who wanted to play Hero Games.
I belatedly realized I hadn’t set a password and opened the system window to set one now.
But the Dungeon seemed to be interfering—the password wouldn’t lock.
“By the way, Sun, you’re just clearing this one, yes? Yes?”
“Of course not! To proclaim my great deeds, I’ll have to clear the next Dungeon that appears too.”
“Ah, I see…….”
Tikkul’s companions sounded terrified. It seemed this place frightened them as much as it did me.
Their voices drew steadily closer.
“What will you do? Shall we drive it back?”
“Can we even… drive that back?”
I imagined Sirius striking Tikkul. I pictured Tikkul flying backward from a single blow of his sword.
Even accounting for bad luck, was it really acceptable to lay hands on a god?
Before we could decide what to do, we came face to face with Tikkul.
“Th-this is insane!”
The moment Tikkul saw us, he shrieked.
“You refused a contract romance for this? To date a human?!”
In the silent space, only Tikkul’s voice echoed.
To date. To date.
Nothing could have been more unseemly.
“We’re not dating.”
“Who would believe that? Holding him like that—agh!”
Why did he suddenly look so shocked when he glanced at Sirius?
When I looked at Sirius, he met my gaze calmly, his expression one of quiet confusion as to why Tikkul was acting that way.
“Dad, hurry! Let’s get out of here! Away from these revolting things!”
“Yes, yes!”
Tikkul rushed past us and vanished into the distant darkness ahead.
Then, shortly after.
“Kyaaaagh!!”
A scream erupted from the direction they’d disappeared into. The voice unmistakably belonged to Tikkul.
I would be screaming like that soon enough. The thought of what lay ahead terrified me.
First, I should ask Sirius to put me down.
I was still being held in the Princess Carry.
“Sirius. If you’re holding me, you can’t draw your sword. Please put me down.”
“This Dungeon has a low difficulty level. There appears to be no need to draw a blade.”
How did he know that? Do you pick up on these things after traversing enough Dungeons? The World App hadn’t provided difficulty descriptions, so I hadn’t known.
“Still. Just in case, please put me down.”
“……Very well.”
If that voice sounded reluctant, was it just my imagination? What was so appealing about carrying someone?
At last, I could plant both feet firmly on the ground.
“Would you hold my hand instead?”
I had held Sirius’s hand before during the dance at the banquet. It was firm, calloused with the marks of a swordsman.
So I decided to accept his offer.
I took his hand.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————