"A long ti ago, I’m told, the person who would later be known as the goddess had a lover called Cailleach."
Kwarah’s tone was telling that she wouldn’t accept interruptions, so I just glanced at Yaci at my side. It looks like it was related to that lover, after all.
"The goddess was originally a person summoned from another world as a hero by the united forces of humankind to help in their war against the dragonkind, which they called demons."
Ohhhh, but this had a bit of extra spicy information. So she was one of those OP heroes, then. And the whole demon war thing sounded very isekai to .
"Her lover was a genius sorcerer, and they together created the adventuring system to give an edge to humans in the war. With that, they won the war for the humans."
She had my full attention now that the words adventuring system were said.
"They fought together in several battles, but while Cailleach saw them both as equals, the other already had her sights on becoming the goddess. The one who had the knowledge and power to funnel the vital energy of the world to allow for the system to be made was Cailleach. So, the goddess betrayed her, robbed her of her power, and sealed her in a dungeon under the mountains."
"WHAT???"
It was not just ; most of the elders, and also Yaci, were looking stunned at her words. But I’m the first to recover enough to ask a question
"So, you’re saying that I’m going to free that betrayed lover of the goddess?"
"Exactly. The Loa seems to think that she will help you if you free her."
"..."
"The goddess is even more despicable than I thought."
The one talking was Yaci, at my side. But sothing is still not clear to .
"How would having her help in freeing our mothers?"
"I... am not sure about that. My only job here is to provide you with the assistance you need to get to her. I’m not privy to the logic behind the Loa’s orders."
Fair point. But still, why make co all the way here?
Wait, wait, there’s another question.
"Until recently, nobody would allow to participate in the patrols because I’m too young. And now I’m going dungeon delving?"
They know I’m seven, right?
I an, I am not... and to be honest, I’m thrilled by the prospect of going through a proper dungeon like a real RPG. What bothers is the naturality they’re sending soone like into it.
"We will be protecting you for most of the way... So of the people of our tribe are used to going training in that dungeon."
"Huh? And why has nobody freed her yet?"
"Because when we go there, we see a barrier after a certain point that nobody is able to cross. Not us, nor the dragons, nor any monsters. But the Loa told us that it won’t affect you."
"?? Why?"
She didn’t answer, just shrugging instead.
But I think that I know why. Maybe she set it in a way that only allows otherworlders like herself to enter. And I’m one of those.
"I understand... But how do we know there isn’t any monster inside that section?"
"We don’t... We can only attest that nobody has co in or out of it in the last few centuries. And I don’t know how anyone would survive that long without eating. But besides that, we have no idea of what will be waiting for you after you pass the barrier."
"..."
"But don’t worry. Though I would give my own life as a sacrifice if the Loa asked for it, I know they would never ask for it. Nor would I ever ask a sacrifice from you. So, if the Loa deed it safe for you, it will probably be."
I sigh. There isn’t much I can argue about it. And it isn’t like I dislike the idea anyway.
Dungeon delving, rescuing a forr lover of a goddess who was betrayed out of pure greed? Count IN!!!
I just think that I could have freed Mother and the others without this side quest.
But I could maybe be mistaken... now that I’m already here, there’s only one way forward, and it makes things easier.
:::
After the conversation ended, the celebrations proceeded, and the fox and wolf youth of the right age had a special party that was more like a debutant ball.
The Loa granted the power to call that protective tree so people could party to their hearts content. In the following weeks, so fox guys moved into the wolf tribe, and vice versa.
When those moving-ins occurred, there was special food, but no bigger marriage festivities like the ones we’re used to in our world. It was simply a matter of moving in.
After a few days, Yara, Kwarah, and so warriors went out. Apparently they managed to arrange a eting with the dragonkind. The objective was to receive permission for us to approach the dungeon.
In the anwhile I kept training and studying hard. I haven’t leveled up in the first months after joining the tribe because not being allowed to participate in patrols ant that I haven’t killed anything.
After I managed to defeat the whole patrol in mock combat, I was finally allowed to participate in the patrols. But I was always under constant care, so my kill count didn’t improve that much.
You only gain level XP by killing, after all. Defeating without killing doesn’t give you any XP. And only the one who gets the final blow gets all the XP.
It’s a very hardcore system, and most parties of the tabletop RPGs I played would be outraged by it.
And it kind of tells a lot about the mind of the person who designed it.
I wonder what kind of person that Cailleach is and which role she got in the developnt of this system. Was she really just being used by the goddess, or did she co up with so of those ideas herself?
It is a system designed to favor killing and individuality over cunning solutions and teamwork, after all. Typical behavior of those grifters in so many survival MMOs.
There’s also the other thing Kwarah ntioned... about the system funneling the vital energy of the world. Now that I think about it, it makes sense. All the power we get by leveling up has to co from sowhere.
I look at the barren landscape around . And I rember the tale that this place used to be a lush jungle. Maybe the two things are related?
Are we literally draining the world to sustain this system?
And the goddess... she’s leeching on it all to begin with.
Also, this system is too ga-y, too MMORPG. But the tilines don’t match. If she ca from Earth, could she have co from modern day?
If that’s the case, there should be so weird ti travel stuff going on.
On the other hand, if we account for ti travel, she could well have beco the Juno goddess from the Romans.
Maybe she was desperately trying to go back to Earth and beca a goddess just to do that... but ultimately ended up in the wrong ti zone. Missing the mark for more than 2.5 thousand years.
Argh, adding ti travel to parallel worlds is such a pain.
:::
A few more days, and the head elders and the warriors that had gone with them are back.
We got the permission to go to the dungeon. Only and the group of warriors that will guard , no one else.
Kwarah is joining us. I’ve heard she’s a great warrior, and she also happens to know the layout of the dungeon by heart.
The dragonkind won’t be joining us but said that they would guarantee our safety in their territory, outside of the dungeon.
Apparently the beef they have with the goddess is so big that they stay clear even from places that are sohow related to her.
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