God of creation system : The apocalypse

Chapter 22 : Ataparag

Ataparag could do nothing but let out a disappointed sigh at Nyabu's behavior.

"She really hasn't changed at all."

She turned to face me and apologized for Nyabu's poor treatment of me.

"Even though Nyabu is grumpy, she is kind-hearted and dependable."

I just smiled, though I didn't believe a word she said, because that cat girl looked like she had been breastfed on resentment, given her abrasive attitude.

She held my hand again and introduced herself as the leader.

"By the way, I am Ataparag, the leader of the 10th Battle Force of Eskapa, and this is Toto, one of my assistants," she said.

Suddenly, Toto grabbed me by the head, and out of sheer shock, I bolted away. I felt quite nervous, as I wasn't used to being handled by such massive hands.

"Ah... oh, I'm so sorry if I scared you, but don't worry, Toto is kind despite how he looks. He can't speak due to the effect of his crimson item, but he understands everything," she said.

I just smirked because, since he looked like a bull, you couldn't tell from his facial expressions whether he was angry or pleased with me.

I couldn't help but wonder what Ataparag's definition of the word "kind" actually was, seeing as everyone seemed to be kind in her eyes.

A moment later, she asked for my name, mentioning she needed it for the application she was going to file.

"My name is Nathaniel Muntingbato. I don't really know if I'm qualified for Escape, but I really need a place to stay," I said.

"Hmm... don't worry. Joining Escape isn't just about fighting; you can join and still be useful."

This reminded me that the forces of Escape are divided into three branches, each led by a specific weapon:

The Battle Force Unit consists of members who serve Escape as soldiers and warriors.

The Utility Unit is tasked with duties related to construction, laundry, and taking care of all necessary general chores.

The Medical Unit is assigned to healing, responding to emergencies, and caring for the sick and wounded.

"Alright then, that actually sounds okay."

"If that's the case, Mr. Nathaniel, let's head over to the team's dorm so you can rest, because I know you're exhausted from what happened," she said.

I was amazed by how considerate she was, especially since she barely knew me and, to be honest, I had even brought trouble upon her by almost getting her punished just for helping me.

Hours later, we went to an apartment currently occupied by her team.

It had five doors lined up in a row. Ataparag mentioned that her team currently had fifty members, with ten people living together behind each door.

She explained that I couldn't be included with them yet since I wasn't an official team member, so she decided to have me stay in her own unit instead.

"It's a bit complicated, and most of my companions don't really like strangers, so you can rest in my unit for now," she said.

"But don't worry, my unit is very comfortable because I live there alone," she added.

She mentioned that as an officer, she had her own private room and office that only she used.

A moment later, we went upstairs, and she let me in without any hesitation.

I didn't know if it was right to just go along with what she was doing, but as far as I was concerned, she was being way too trusting by letting a complete stranger of a guy into her private quarters.

"Ah... err... is it really okay for me to stay here? I mean, are you really okay with letting a guy sleep in the same room as you?" I asked.

She looked suddenly surprised, pausing for a few seconds until it finally dawned on her that we were going to sleep in the same room together.

"Wahh! Wait, no, no! Don't think about it like that!" she stammered, flustered and embarrassed.

"I don't have any bad intentions toward you, I promise," she added, her face turning bright red with shame.

I couldn't quite fathom how her mind worked, but based on what I could see, she was completely oblivious to certain things and actually worried that she might be the one with bad intentions toward me as a woman.

"Wait, hold on, I didn't say you had bad intentions toward me," I said.

She fell silent again, and a moment later, looked startled as she slowly backed away from me.

"Then... that means you have bad intentions toward me!"

"What? Of course not!" I flusteredly replied.

I explained to her that I just didn't want to take advantage of her kindness, and I was sure that if others found out she was harboring a guy in her unit, her reputation might be ruined.

"Oh... Is that so? Is that what you're worried about?" she said.

She suddenly smiled at me and gave a light chuckle while praising me for looking out for her.

"So you were actually worried about my standing?"

"You see, the Vice Commander entrusted you to me, and I couldn't just let you sleep outside," she said.

"Besides, I'm a demon beast. No human would ever dare try anything bad against me. Can't you feel my presence when you look into my eyes?" she added.

"A demon beast?"

I was puzzled by what she said. I suppose I wasn't attuned to sensing a creature's presence, especially since I had zero knowledge of things in this world yet.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but wait—aren't demon beasts supposed to be monsters from the dark continent?"

"Though I have to say, you don't look like a monster at all—especially not with beauty like yours," I added.

She suddenly lowered her head, blushing deeply as she touched her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Am-am-am I pretty?"

She became even more charming with that reaction, looking like an innocent child thrilled by a compliment.

Suddenly, a holographic display popped up above her head:

"LOVE points increase: Ataparag gained 10 love points."

I was puzzled by the increase in love points on her stats, but since it didn't change my gratitude points, I decided to ignore it.

After all, only gratitude points were supposed to be what I needed to make the God of Creation system work.

I just smirked to myself, thinking about the utterly useless power Koko had given me.

Even though I was enjoying the sight, I quickly asked why she looked so human.

"Wait, look at this." She replied.

At that moment, she showed me her earring, mentioning that it was a crimson item given to her by Sei.

"This item is the reason why I was able to take on a human form. Ever since the queen gave it to me, I vowed to serve her until the very end."

"The Queen adopted me and treated me as one of her own children. That is why I became a general of the palace army."

I was amazed by what I heard, though a bit puzzled.

"From what I knew, demon beasts are aggressive, wild creatures with terrifying appearances. You are worlds apart from someone as gentle and kind as you," I said.

She blushed fiercely once more at my compliment and thanked me, explaining that not all demon beasts are naturally evil and that they are just like any other living beings.

"Back when I was still a full monster, I also had to be brave and fierce just to find food in the forest."

"Life in the dark continent isn't easy. If you don't fight and kill, you will be the one who dies and gets eaten by others," she added.

She made me understand that they had to kill just to survive, whether they liked it or not, even if it meant turning on their own kind.

Because she was a high-ranking demon beast, she possessed higher intelligence and had once ruled over hundreds of her kind on an island, where they protected their group's territory from intruders.

"When queen Sei traveled to the dark continent for a mission, she defeated me and showed me mercy after our battle. In exchange for my oath of loyalty, she gave me this crimson item."

"I am so lucky that destiny brought us together, and that is why I want to follow in Queen Sei's footsteps as a faithful servant of God," she added, closing her eyes in prayer.

Learning the reason behind her immense care for me made me respect her even more.

"I admire you. You changed, and you genuinely strive to be good even while living in such a chaotic world."

"Thank you, but I feel the same way about you, Mr. Nathaniel. I think you're truly admirable," she replied.

She then explained that practically no one in this world is ever willing to accept a soul eater, and it was the very first time she had ever witnessed someone step up to protect them.

"Is that so?" I asked.

She mentioned that everyone harbors a deep fear of soul eaters—especially since she herself had almost been consumed by them in the past. But the moment she saw me step in front of Nyabu to protect Suwi, she was intrigued by me.

I simply lowered my head, thinking about how hard it must be to be hunted down and despised by everyone when you haven't even done anything wrong. A deep sense of pity washed over me as I remembered the sorrow etched on Suwi's face.

"Tell me, Miss Ataparag, did you actually believe what I said about Suwi? Is that why you helped us?"

She thought about my question for a moment before looking at me with a smile as she answered:

"Hmm... I'm sorry, but to be honest, I didn't really believe it at first. But I suppose I just felt in the moment that I had to help you because what you were doing was so dangerous."

I smirked at her admission because, come to think of it, she was awfully naive for a leader. I mean, what if Nyabu's suspicions were right? What if the person she helped really was an evil creature?

"What I mean is, you don't truly know the motives or thoughts of the people around you, so you shouldn't just trust people so easily."

I gave her a hypothetical scenario: what if I was just tricking her, and the moment she fell fast asleep tonight, I would attack her?

She pondered that for a moment, then took a step forward, bringing her face close to mine as she asked:

"If that's the case, tell me—do I have anything to regret for helping you? Do you actually plan on doing something bad to me?"

With her face that close to mine, I couldn't help but feel awkward and take a step back, which caused me to trip and sit flat on the floor.

"Hahaha, I'm just joking! I can sense whether the person in front of me is good or bad. And don't worry, I can protect myself if you ever try to pull anything."

"I'm still a demon beast, after all, and nighttime is when I become much wilder," she said softly, giving me a wink.

"So if you're planning anything against me, you better prepare yourself for my ferocity," she added.

I wasn't entirely sure if that was a threat or just a playful reminder, but she looked so cute that I figured it was probably fine if she got a little wild tonight.