"Hmm. What should I do?"
I stood there, brooding over the Status Enhancement Potion I’d crafted from the Mutant Magic Stone.
I’d been the one to use it last time, so I’d intended to let someone else have it this time around. But everyone insisted—with complete unanimity—that I should be the one to take it. Despite this being a prime opportunity to power up, none of them seemed particularly interested.
As I stood there groaning in indecision, Shiroru, who had been curled up nearby, sluggishly lifted her head. She let out a massive yawn and fixed me with an exasperated look.
"Are you still worrying about that? I think you should just use it already!"
"But it’s a rare item. I can’t just hog it for myself."
"Everyone said these kinds of mysterious items are your responsibility, Tort!"
"Ah... right."
She had a point. Even Halfa had told me, "It wouldn't produce an interesting result if we used it, so you should be the one to do it!" I wasn't exactly looking for "interesting results," though.
"Even if you call it rare, this is already the second one," Shiroru added. "If that's the case, there’s bound to be a third eventually, right?"
"When you put it that way, I suppose you’re right."
They say things that happen twice will happen a third time. As long as I had a Mutant Magic Stone, I could replicate the process. Looking at it from that perspective, I felt like I’d have another chance eventually.
Well, if no one else wanted it, I had no choice but to use it myself. It would be a waste to let it sit forgotten in my storage ring. If I gained a new ability, I might be able to help everyone even more than I did now. With that justification in mind, I decided to go ahead.
Once the decision was made, there was no point in waiting. I popped the lid of the potion with a crisp snap and downed it in one go. My face twisted at the indescribable flavor, but... other than that, there was no immediate change.
"How is it? Do you think you can make new dishes now?"
Shiroru looked up at me with an expectant face. I’d wondered why she was pushing me so hard to drink it; so that was what she was after?
"Give me a second."
I checked my status with my Appraisal Ring. At a glance, my traits didn't seem to have changed.
"...Huh? Nothing's different?"
"Is that so? Hmm... wait, hmmm? Whoa! Tort, what on earth happened to you?!"
"Eh? What?"
I tilted my head in confusion. Shiroru, who had been tilting hers right along with me, suddenly let out a startled cry.
"Something definitely changed! It’s like... you’re all sparkling!"
"Sparkling...?"
"Appraise yourself again! Do it one more time!"
Urged on by Shiroru, I peered at my reflection through the ring again. As I scanned the displayed status, looking for anything out of the ordinary... ah.
"My 'Creativity' changed to 'Power of Genesis.'"
"Ooh! What... what does that mean?"
"I honestly have no idea."
The description of the trait didn't seem much different from Creativity.
"Muu. I bet it’s related to the sparkling, though."
"And what exactly is this 'sparkling' you keep talking about?"
"Sparkling is sparkling! It’s like... you feel like Lord Lamuyadas now!"
Like Ren-kun? I didn't understand the comparison at all.
Regardless, I decided to report the development to the others and stepped out of the room. It seemed everyone was currently inside the Magic House. When I explained what had happened in the living room, Halfa and Spira both tilted their heads.
"A trait evolution, huh? But I don't see any 'sparkling.' Spira, do you?"
"Hmm, I don't think your appearance has changed in any particular way..."
Lowell and the Petit Golems reacted the same way.
"Nuu? He’s sparkling this much and nobody else can tell? What about you, Garna?"
Shiroru looked disgruntled at the lack of support. She turned to Garna to find an ally, but the goddess was frozen stiff, staring at me.
"Is that presence... Father's? No, that's impossible..."
Garna muttered something under her breath. I barely caught the word "Father." When Garna spoke of her father, she meant the Creator God who had birthed this world. However, according to Eudas of the Silver Cult, that God had exhausted his power and perished after invading another world.
"Garna? Is something wrong?"
"Ah... no. It is nothing."
When I spoke to her, Garna shook her head as if to shake off a lingering thought.
"Power of Genesis, was it? A trait I have never heard of. Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by you gaining mysterious powers at this point..."
Everyone nodded in agreement with her. Honestly, I felt the same way. It really did feel a bit late to be shocked by these things.
"You say you cannot tell the difference," Garna continued, "but a profound power has surely taken root within you. From the perspective of myself or the white beast there, the very nature of your existence as Tort has shifted significantly."
"See! He is sparkling!"
"If I were to put it into words... it feels as though your existential rank has risen."
I didn't have any real sense of it myself, but that seemed to be the case. And for some reason, that change manifested as a "sparkle" to Shiroru.
Which meant...
"Does that mean Tort has become a god?"
Halfa asked the question I was wondering about. Everyone’s eyes locked onto Garna. Faced with their collective stare, she lowered her gaze.
"That shouldn't be possible..."
According to Garna, one didn't simply become a god by gaining power. Apparently, one only achieved godhood after being recognized by the other deities and being assigned a specific role in the management of the world. In short, gaining the Power of Genesis didn't mean I was suddenly a member of the divine.
"So what exactly is this power, then?"
"Even I cannot say. If you truly intend to head to Lafres, you will have to let the other gods there see for themselves."
The neutral nation of Lafres. I had already planned to visit the Adventurer's Guild Headquarters there, but it looked like I had just gained another very important reason to make the trip.