The Undying Drama Chapter 4: Star Coffin
God and wishes...this world sure has a unique flavor to it. If one was able to fulfill any wish, I wonder how would its civilization develop. I'm kinda excited to find out for myself!
Poppy: Firstly, I need to stress that your wish point count would only appear when you make a wish.
Di Qi Ju: ...Ok.
Poppy: Close your eyes and combine your hands into a cross(十). Then you need to empty your mind and mentally chant Westrealm's name.
Poppy: You will then see several stars lighting up in your mind, like a starry sky in the night. These are your wish points.
Poppy: After they appear, you have a minute to voice your wish mentally and the points you are willing to invest. Naturally, this period can be used to confirm your point count.
Poppy: After a minute, the stars will disappear and your wish will be granted.
Poppy: If you do not make a wish during this minute, you will consume a wish point.
Poppy: Usually, the first wish a person makes is mainly to determine how many points he has. At the same time, he could use this opportunity to make a useful wish.
Poppy: An example would be 'an ability to increase my intelligence' or perhaps 'an ability to increase my body's strength'.
Di Qi Ju: Is using the word "ability" a necessity?
Poppy: Describing a wish as an ability is important. It allows you to gain greater benefits the next time you invest more points into this wish.
Poppy: Have you already forgotten what we talked about?
Di Qi Ju: Ha...It's just that it feels kind of weird to add the word in so abruptly so I couldn't help but ask.
Poppy: Little Ju is such a forgetful boy. I wonder if you've already forgotten about our little feeding sessions.
Di Qi Ju: Hey, there's no need to bring that in right? Banish that thought, right now!
Poppy: Alright, alright. Little Ju make sure to think about the kind of wish you want to make before checking on your wish points.
Di Qi Ju: What if there aren't any wish points?
Poppy: The only way that can happen is if you've already made a wish. If that's the case, all you will see is a sea of black. Naturally, whatever wish you make won't be fulfilled.
Di Qi Ju: Alright. So I just have to make a one point wish and then spend that minute counting stars?
Poppy: Mhm, it's just that simple.
Di Qi Ju: Hold on a moment, I need to consider what my first wish will be.
Poppy: There's no need to spend too much time thinking. An obviously useful wish like "an ability to love Big Sis Poppy" is enough.
Di Qi Ju: Your wish seems to be ambiguous. What happens if a wish is ambiguous?
Di Qi Ju: ------Hey! Can you stop forcing your wishes onto me?
Poppy: Oh! Your delayed reactions are just too cute!
Di Qi Ju: That's enough…
Poppy: Ambiguity is alright, God will understand the real intentions of your wish.
Di Qi Ju: That's fine then. Then I'll start making my wish. And can you please refrain from whispering weird things into my ears while I'm doing so?
Poppy: Hm----?! Ah...Okay, sure, sure.
Di Qi Ju: This reaction...I think I'll make my wish another day.
Poppy: Ahhh, I won't say anything I promise! Just hurry up and try it out-----Go on----give it a try----
Di Qi Ju: Stop shaking me while you are talking! I'm getting dizzy!
After goofing around for a while, Poppy finally settled down.
Perhaps I should wish for "an ability to make Poppy more serious". I bet it'll come in handy when interacting with her over a long period of time.
Hmm...won't this affect another person's wish then? That isn't right, right?
Anyway, let's have a look at this ocean of stars given by the God of Wishes.
I made a 十 pose with my hands and closed my eyes. Emptying my mind, I called out the name of this world's God.
Westrealm…
…
I felt like a series of lamp had been turned on under my eyelids as the darkness was gradually engulfed by light. Soon my vision was dominated by these lights. It was as if I had never closed my eyes.
These... are all my wish points?
Within the giant mote of light in front of me, were an uncountable number of tiny motes squeezed together with barely any gap in-between.
If a person with Trypophobia saw this, they probably would have fainted long ago.
While I do not suffer from such a phobia, a strange sensation began to fill my head.
An unforgettable image was soon projected in my mind. It was an image of that disaster.
These densely packed stars sent forth an impression of the survivors being crushed under ruins. Mangled limbs tangled together in an asphyxiating ball of human parts, who these parts belonged to, no longer distinguishable.
I definitely didn't experience this scene before but these stars forced this experience upon my mind.
This can't be right...this isn't a starry sky, nor is it a sea of stars. It's a dumping ground for dead stars .
[Star Coffin]...
This is the gift given to me by this world's God?
If it's possible, I would rather not face such a scene…
Wishes...abilities…
Oh right. If you are truly a God, please grant my wish-------
"An ability that allows me to distance myself from fatal danger."
If it wasn't for that disaster…
If only my family and I didn't get pulled into that disaster…
I didn't deserve to suffer all that pain…
So please, let me distance myself from them.
Even if it's just one point, even if it's just one point…
……
As quietly as the way it came, the star coffin quietly left my vision.
Has my wish been fulfilled?
Perhaps. It should have roughly been a minute. I opened my eyes and felt the sweat dripping from my palms.
This...wasn't really a pleasant experience.
Poppy: Did you succeed? Do you see the stars?
Di Qi Ju: Ah...I think so.
Poppy: See what did I tell you? No matter which world you came from, as long as you possess a high level of intelligence, Westrealm will bestow wish points onto you.
Poppy gave me her usual serene smile as if she didn't notice what had happened to me.
Poppy: Well, Little Ju, how many points do you have?
Di Qi Ju: Oh that. Right, I have-----
------*crickets chirping*.
Di Qi Ju: ----------....
Poppy: Hm?
My words trailed off from there. I wasn't trying to be dramatic but as I tried to tell her, I felt something stopping me. It felt like a hand had tapped my heart. I had no choice but to turn my attention to it, cutting off my sentence.
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind-----
My ability triggered?
Poppy: Little Ju, what's wrong?
Di Qi Ju: Ah...it's nothing.
Di Qi Ju: It's just that I've never had such an experience before. It's too removed from the common sense of my world so I got too distracted to count them.
Poppy: Ehh------Doesn't that mean your first wish was a total failure!
Di Qi Ju: Err...The count shouldn't be below a normal person's range. I'll make sure to count them carefully the next time I make a wish.
Poppy: Alright then. So, what's your wish? Did you make sure to wish for "an ability to marry Poppy"?
Di Qi Ju: What kind of crappy ability is that?! You definitely did not bring this up before, old lady!
Poppy….
Poppy: Old...lady?
The face which normally spouted flirtatious nonsense unbefitting her serene looks suddenly changed. This was the first time I've ever seen her angry face.
Poppy: Ah…... So in Little Ju's heart, I'm such an old lady…
Crap! I accidentally spilled the beans!
Di Qi Ju: There's no...no such thing...Miss...Poppy?
Wait...this is definitely not enough to appease her!
Poppy pursed her lips and 'warmly' stared at me. Before I knew it, she turned around and shoved my leg under her armpit.
Di Qi Ju: You...what are you planning?
Poppy: Haha, do you even need to ask?
Poppy:-----Tickle torture!
Di Qi Ju: -------Ahahahahahaha!!
Di Qi Ju: -------Ahahahahahahahahah!!
Using such inhumane torture on a defenceless sick boy! This is definitely the work of the devil!
At this moment, I experienced pain worse than what I had experienced during the disaster.
However, even while enduring this pain, that doubt lingered in my mind.
Why did my ability stop me when I tried to tell her my wish points? In response to this instinct, I made up a lie on the spot.
Telling Poppy such a thing is dangerous?
Poppy she...will pose a fatal threat to me?
The power of wishes...what are you?
Footnotes:
Trypophobia is a proposed phobia of irregular patterns or clusters of small holes or bumps.
Credits:
Special thanks to 7STARDARK BLADE! The first ever patron of Catato Patch Translations.
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