Even though the message said my reward would be increased, I didn’t feel happy at all. I had seen similar messages before, and what I got last time was an upgrade to the Mesugaki skill.

Thinking back on it still makes me cringe. "Pathetic Dog," "Perverted Saint,"—the Mesugaki skill made me spew all sorts of things I should never have said to people I actually had some fondness for. It was nothing short of a nightmare.

And now, the situation was starting to feel eerily similar. After overcoming a tough challenge and completing the Pathetic God’s quest, I was about …