Coreal
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[Crossover] Ch 4: Turn the System Into a Gift?
🕑 Added 2025-05-07 23:13:57 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
—Gift: [Dimensional Forum]—
As soon as Ryo saw this, a card appeared in his soul's vision—pure white, with intricate snake-like patterns curling around the edges.
The card gave a gentle shimmer, and dark text slowly floated into view.
[Gift: Dimensional Forum. A mysterious gift that connects to unknown universes.]
[Origin: unknown.]
[Abilities: cannot be fully determined]
[Confirmed Ability: Enables communication with entities from unknown universes, taking on unpredictable forms of interaction.]
[Unconfirmed Ability: There is a possibility it enables observation and linkage to other dimensions. Specific powers are still pending evaluation.]
...
Ryo's pupils widened sharply as he read the Suspected Ability. He couldn't help turning his head toward the west.
In that instant, it felt as though his gaze pierced through countless barriers to behold the massive pillar of light towering over the very center of Little Garden.
That was the [Little Garden Core]—the external manifestation of the system governing this world.
"…The Little Garden actually detected the forum? And even classified it as a Gift?"
Ryo stared at the walls of the underground library, deeply shaken.
The so-called "Little Garden Core" was the governing system of this world—the beating heart of Little Garden.
The Core didn't interfere in personal affairs. It simply observed, assigned life rankings (Divinity), and operated like an emotionless world-management AI.
And importantly—it didn't have an owner.
Such safeguards had been in place since the earliest days of Little Garden's construction to ensure that no individual or group could control the Core. It was even designed to prevent it from developing sentience of its own.
In that sense, being noticed by the Core wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"…Still, it's kind of terrifying. I thought the Dimensional Forum System was on a higher level than the Core, but it actually got picked up on its radar."
Ryo couldn't help but feel a lingering chill. That thing had been hiding in his soul, right now, and it couldn't even escape detection.
Being observed by the Core came with both downsides and upsides.
The bad: the forum's power might not be as all-mighty as he'd hoped—it could be interfered with by the Core.
The good: He can be sure that the Forum wasn't hiding any shady tricks. More importantly, he didn't have to worry about the Core refusing to recognize any benefits he gained through it.
"So I guess... it's a mixed bag."
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Ryo moved his neck, working out some stiffness.
Just then, another line of text appeared on the forum's Gift card.
[Judgment: To ensure the forum's continued existence, the bearer of this Gift, Ryo Yagami, is granted a 'Domain' rank Divinity.]
And just like that, a surge of power hit him like he'd eaten ten oversized meat buns for breakfast.
His "Human" Divinity began expanding at a rapid pace. His physical abilities skyrocketed. He even felt as though his skin could touch the very fabric of "space" itself.
With his eyes closed, Ryo could clearly sense everything in the basement around him—and even the structures above it.
The sudden transformation left him stunned. When he finally managed to gather his thoughts, he muttered to himself:
"A 'Domain' Divinity? If I remember right, that's the type tied to space-time powers in Little Garden, isn't it?"
"I heard even high-tier gods and demons can't usually obtain that kind of power… only a rare few ever manage to grasp the concept of Domains and turn it into Divinity."
"So basically… I just got handed a divine-level power for free?"
The sheer luck of it made Ryo suspicious. Maybe all those years of suffering had built up and decided to cash out tonight?
First, Black Rabbit gave him a Divinity. Then the mysterious Dimensional Forum System invited him in. Now the Little Garden Core casually handed him one of the highest-tier Divinities out there.
This much good fortune in one night? Yeah, no way this wasn't a setup.
And sure enough, the next second, a new line appeared on the Gift card:
[Incorporating unknown universes into Little Garden's observation range will yield large contributions and boost your Divinity.]
Ryo's eye twitched. Slowly, very slowly, he turned to face the distant Core and gave it the middle finger.
"…So that's what this is about. You just want to expand your surveillance network, and I'm your free courier. And here I thought I'd hit the jackpot."
"But hey, I gotta admit… Not a bad strategy. Hand out a gift first, then drop a little hint. Sweeten the deal, then show the long-term goal. Can't even blame you—I'd do the same in your shoes."
Even while ranting, Ryo's attention locked onto one phrase in particular: large contributions, boost your Divinity.
In Little Garden, that wasn't just some fluff—it was a big deal.
Divinity wasn't just your rank. It represented your very existence. It was the Core's first blessing to a lifeform, the most essential kind of Gift.
And its strength pretty much defined your standing in the world.
Top gods, planetary spirits, rulers of divine pantheons—every last one of them had overwhelming Divinity.
Take Jesus, for example. If the legends were true, he introduced Christianity across all observed universes and shaped the fate of every one of them.
That kind of influence should have earned him massive Divinity, making him one of the strongest beings in Little Garden.
So yeah… the bar was pretty damn high.
But now, right in front of Ryo, was a shortcut: Bringing the Forum-connected worlds into Little Garden's scope.
"With stakes this high, this path is bound to be a pain…"
Ryo frowned, deep in thought, then let out a dry laugh.
"Whatever. No point worrying about that. Hard or not, it's still a shortcut to getting stronger."
With that, Ryo snapped out of his funk.
"First step now is figuring out how to link other worlds to Little Garden's observation system."
He already had a hunch about that.
If anyone knew how, it would be Shiroyasha.
After all, she wasn't just some random god—she was practically one of the founders of Little Garden. Her status even outranked the leaders of many divine factions.
If anyone had info on world observation and how to expand the Core's awareness, it'd be her.
And honestly, she was the only high-tier entity Ryo had a connection with—who didn't carry a truckload of malice.
He owed his current Divinity to her, after all.
Technically speaking, he was her subordinate god.
"Well, if the plan's set, then it's time to move."
Ryo wasn't the type to overthink things. Once he felt confident in a direction, he acted.
Real men charge forward.
He pushed himself up, brushed the dust from his pants, and took a deep breath.
Then, with steady steps, Ryo walked out of the underground library.
.
.
.
