[Congratulations, you have now become a god. Your body is being filled with cosmic power.]

[New abilities will be unlocked.]

[Your authority has been changed.]

The system was still typing messages, but I felt like I no longer needed to look at it to know what it was telling me. Nor did I need to search up what was happening.

A flick of my finger felt like enough for me to understand what was happening and how I could control the world.

The fight slowly faded from around me as the familiar walls of the bookstore came into focus. But this time, the walls felt special. I could feel a strange power coming from them, telling me that this was my territory-something I needed to cherish.

Outside, the loud noises had started to grow even louder, and I knew it was time for me to put an end to this situation once and for all. There was no longer any need for me to hesitate in dealing with those fake bastards.

[You are interfering in this world. Faith points will be consumed as a result of your actions.]

[1000 faith points consumed. Cosmic power released. You have eradicated the followers of the fake god.]

I could sense that the entities I wanted to get rid of were no longer outside. All I could hear was the silence that descended after I used my powers.

I quickly exited the room to check on my people, but I could tell they were fine even before I opened the door.

"Shopkeeper, are you… done…? You somehow feel different."

Leo commented first, but his voice felt like it was coming from underwater. It was faint, detached, and hard for me to hear.

"I am fine. Are all of you fine as well?"

I asked, taking a quick look around. Luna was limping, but she did not seem hurt. Nyx and Erebus were fine as well, and Fenrir had a feral but happy grin on his face as he looked around.

The bookstore itself was destroyed, but with a flick of my wrist, things returned to how they should have been. Everything that had been destroyed was restored in a single second.

"Looks like you gained new powers, shopkeeper. What should we call you now?"

Luna asked, her voice carrying a caution I was not used to. She was treating me like a ticking time bomb-something to be afraid of.

That made me feel annoyed and flattered at the same time, and I quickly assured her that she did not need to feel that way.

"It is fine to call me shopkeeper. I am the same person you knew before. I just… gained some new powers."

I reassured her, and Luna gave me an almost pitiful look before shifting on her feet.

"For now, we should all head back to our rooms and go to sleep. I will create a barrier around the town tomorrow to keep problems like these outside. I will also need to head out somewhere after that, so it will be a busy time."

I told them, and my heart skipped a beat at the thought of finally being able to go back home.

Nyx and Erebus suddenly looked worried. They grabbed my hands and looked at me with almost pitiful expressions on their faces.

"You will… come back to us, right, shopkeeper? I… don't know why, but I have a feeling you are about to disappear from our lives."

Nyx muttered the last part, and I had a feeling I was not supposed to hear it. Still, I had to admit she was much sharper than I gave her credit for.

She had somehow sensed that I would be gone for a while.

"Don't worry so much. I will come back as soon as I can. I just need to take care of a few things first."

I assured Nyx, but she and her twin did not look convinced. Before they could press me further, Leo walked over, grabbed her, and pulled her back.

"Alright, you have inconvenienced the shopkeeper more than enough. It is time for us to go back to sleep."

He told Nyx, and she pouted in annoyance.

"B-But this is not over yet. I still have to-fine. I guess I can ask the shopkeeper my questions later."

She finally gave in and was dragged away. But I had a feeling this was far from over.

I kept a smile on my face as I watched Nyx get tugged away by Leo while Luna led Erebus off. Fenrir gave me one last look, and I nodded for him to follow the others.

The bookstore was silent, but it did not feel unsettling. Instead, it felt comforting-like home. I wanted to stay here for a long time.

'I should settle my feelings about my original world first. Finally, after a long time, I will be able to head back home…'

I looked down at my phone, which now seemed useless. The system was in my mind, and the phone was no longer necessary.

Still, I could not bring myself to get rid of the one thing that had helped me this much. I opened my inventory and placed the phone inside. I was sure I would need it in the future.

The next morning felt almost… ordinary. There was nothing unusual about my routine at first, but then I started noticing small things. My vision was sharper, and I only needed to will something for it to happen.

It all felt strange, yet comfortable. When I went downstairs, I could sense people even before I reached the bottom.

Officer Henry and his second-in-command, Lina, were there. Officer Henry smiled broadly as soon as he saw me.

"Shopkeeper, you are finally here. I was waiting for you-"

He reached out to pat my shoulder, then paused and gave me a strange look.

"You… feel different. Are you sure you are the same shopkeeper I know? An imposter hasn't replaced you or anything, right?"

He was joking, but I could hear the seriousness beneath his tone. He was watching me carefully, scanning me from head to toe.

I returned his gaze with the same intensity, and the officer flinched.

"Don't ask silly questions, Officer Henry. Our shopkeeper is the same as always. He just… gained some new powers recently, so you are feeling the change."

Leo reassured him, causing the officer to let out a strained laugh.

"I-I see. So that's what happened. No wonder… Anyway, I am here to check on the place and see if you need any help. But it doesn't seem like you need any…"

He kept looking at me as he spoke, and I pretended not to notice his questioning gaze.

Eventually, he left, satisfied that I was unharmed.

I spent the rest of the time around the shop, helping organize and restock the shelves. I also left some authority behind that would allow an employee to locate the book they wanted more easily.

Once I was satisfied that the shop would not fall apart in my absence, I decided it was time to return to my real world.

During dinner, everyone was present. That felt like the right moment to speak up.

Cough

"Can I have everyone's attention? I would like to inform you that I need to head somewhere for some time. I will be leaving the shop in your hands until then."

Silence fell over the table. Leo was the first to speak.

"You… are going somewhere? Can you tell us where, shopkeeper?"

He asked, and I shook my head. It was better for them not to know about the other world.

"I am afraid that is not possible."

As I spoke, I felt someone tugging on my clothes.

"Can you… not go?"

Erebus asked, and for the first time, I truly heard his voice. A sharp pang hit my chest.

But unfortunately, even he could not stop me from returning to that other world one last time.

"I am sorry, but I need to go at all costs. There are things I must settle before they turn into regrets. But I promise I will come back as soon as I can."

I told everyone at the table, but no one responded. The mood had dropped more sharply than I expected.

Still, there was nothing I could do to lift it.

I let the silence linger, allowing everyone time to process my words. Pushing it any further would only make things harder for all of us.

After dinner, I quietly retreated to my room. The familiar shelves, the faint scent of paper and ink, and the soft hum of magic woven into the walls grounded me.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I exhaled slowly and opened the system interface in my mind.

Soon, I would be gone from this world and back to my original world. I felt excited and nervous at the same time.

'Am I ready to head back? Maybe it's not too late to change my mind about all this.'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.