Chapter 24: Truth of The New World
[YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT YOUR DESTINATION, HOST]
[EXITING THE VOID...]
[VOID EXITED SUCCESSFULLY]
[GOOD LUCK, HOST!]
And just like that, I found myself in the middle of a barren land. It was evening, with the sun about to set on the horizon, and there were no signs of life in my sight. I quickly opened the system, as I doubted this was not the world I had set the coordinates for.
[CURRENT WORLD: TSUKIMICHI - MOONLIT FANTASY (BEFORE THE PLOT BEGINS)]
[HOST, DUE TO AN UNEXPECTED VOID STORM, THE COORDINATES HAVE BEEN RE-CALIBRATED TO THE NEAREST WORLD, AS THE HOST'S LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE VOID IS TOO LOW TO CROSS THE STORM.]
[IN ORDER TO COMPENSATE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED, THE HOST IS REWARDED WITH A DIMENSIONAL CARD.]
As I suspected, I had arrived in a different world than the one I intended to travel to. Well, I couldn't do anything about it now. If I remembered correctly, this world was a good place to start my little experiment of building an army of different kinds.
And how could I forget the loyal waifus of this world? Moonlit Fantasy, huh. I would paint this world's moon a bright red.
'But by this time, I should be-' Before I could finish my thought, the system notified me of something I had expected to happen.
[HOST, SYSTEM HAS DETECTED THE ACTIVATION OF A TELEPORTATION SPELL.]
[THE LEVEL OF THE SPELL IS LOW. DO YOU WISH TO BREAK THE SPELL?]
As expected, she had noticed me in her world. Well, I usually didn't like getting summoned without prior notice, but this time it was different. I had to ask her about something to confirm my intuition.
I always had doubts regarding the ambiguous nature of the Goddess. She said one thing and did another. Well, it wasn't the time to theorize; I would just ask her myself.
"Don't interrupt the process, system. I want to have a little talk with the Goddess."
[UNDERSTOOD, EXTERNAL TELEPORTATION IS NOT INTERRUPTED.]
[HOST HAS BEEN LOCKED ON.]
[GETTING TELEPORTED IN...3...2...1...]
With the countdown from the system, a bright magic circle formed beneath my feet, and with a brilliant pillar of light, I vanished from the barren land.
As the light gradually subsided, I found myself in a grand room adorned with exquisite designs and furniture. However, all these decorations paled in comparison to the woman standing in the midst of it all.
Before me stood a woman of unparalleled beauty. Simply labeling her as beautiful would be an injustice to her radiant charm. She possessed incredibly long, blonde hair that cascaded down to the floor, intricately braided with bangs gracefully framing her face. Her figure was nothing short of voluptuous, an embodiment of feminine allure.
But what truly captivated my attention were her eyes. They were a stunning shade of brilliant yellow, a reflection of the beauty she embodied, akin to bright stars adorning her exquisite visage. She tried to conceal her eyes behind a veil of light, but it was futile in the presence of my dragon gaze.
I stared directly into them, unblinking, prompting her to flinch as she realized I could see through her efforts.
Breaking the silence that had begun to envelop the room, I found myself uttering words of genuine admiration, "Your Eyes, They are Enchanting."
My compliment seemed to catch her off guard. Her face flushed with a rich shade of red as she stammered, "Wha... wha... what are you saying!?"
"You have beautiful eyes, but tears don't suit them," I remarked, noting the strain and redness in her eyes from crying for an extended period. I began to walk toward her.
"How...? Wait, stop...!" She was taken aback by my ability to see past her veil of light. In an attempt to halt my approach, she released her aura. In response, I unleashed a portion of my own aura, slightly stronger than hers, to maintain balance. As I moved closer, she took step after step backward.
"A Dragon...!" she exclaimed.
"Ho~ you can notice, well, it's to be expected from the Goddess of Creation," I replied casually. The clashing of our auras intensified as I drew nearer, causing the furniture around us to shift.
When she tried to retreat further, her heel hit a large couch behind her, causing her to lose her balance. Reacting swiftly, I closed the distance between us, and I caught her by her smooth waist, her skin unblemished and pure. She, in turn, steadied herself by wrapping her hand around my neck.
I pulled her closer to me, helping her regain her footing. Her expression held a mixture of shyness and wonder, and I could hear her heart racing, practically audible to my heightened senses. I used my other hand to gently wipe away the tear marks on her face.
"Tears, they stain your beauty," I said, cupping her cheek. As if on cue, tears started rolling down her pink-hued cheeks.
"Wha-" I began to ask, but she abruptly dropped her head and tears started streaming down her face. "This *sniff* this is unfair..!"
"Why? - WHY?! Should this happen to me..!" Her voice trembled, and her breathing became erratic. Her hand curled into a fist, hitting my chest in frustration, while the other clung around my neck even tighter. Witnessing her pain, I pulled her into a warm embrace, allowing her to rest her head against my chest.
She held onto me firmly, drawing herself closer, and her tears soaked my robes. Gradually, her cries became quieter, but I could still feel her sobbing softly.
My hand gently ran along her braided hair as I spoke in a soft, soothing tone, "Hey~ hey, it's alright now. Everything's alright. I'll take care of it all for you, okay?" I offered her comfort and reassurance, letting her know that I was there for her. After a while of standing together, her sobbing finally came to a halt.
Observing her state, I gently lifted her into my arms and carried her over to the spacious couch. I settled down on the couch with her on my lap, her face still concealed, undoubtedly in embarrassment.
I leaned in closer and whispered softly, "...wanna talk...about it?" My words were an invitation for her to share her thoughts and feelings.
Frankly, I was utterly baffled by her behavior and at this point, have no idea about what the hell's happening.
The Goddess was supposed to be selfish, arrogant, and egotistical, creating problems for others without a second thought. But now, seeing her like this, I had a growing intuition that things in this world weren't as they had been described. I needed to uncover the truth, or at least hear her perspective.
Upon hearing my question, she tensed for a moment and then slowly nodded. She withdrew her head from my chest but still avoided meeting my gaze. In a soft and strained voice, she began to reveal the unsettling truth about this world.
"It all began at the dawn of creation, before the birth of any world, when we, the gods, were wanderers among the vastness of space. We roamed the cosmos, searching for a new realm to call home, a world where we could manifest our divine powers and bask in the adoration of mortal souls.
In our celestial wanderings, we chanced upon a realm unlike any other we had encountered—a fragile blue jewel suspended in the cosmic sea, teeming with life and potential. Earth, as it would come to be known, beckoned to us with promises of worship and devotion. Its untapped reservoirs of faith could grant us immeasurable power, and this was a prize none of us were willing to relinquish.
Yet, even in this harmonious moment of discovery, cracks began to form in our divine camaraderie. We were four, each harboring desires and powers unique unto ourselves.
when these gods found the Earth with no gods protecting it, they all wanted to be a part of the Earth. They wished to be part of it so that people could worship them, as faith grants gods their power. But the problem was that the Earth could only handle the power of one god. This caused tension between the four of us.
I was the weakest among them all. Even with my power of creation, I couldn't match their pure destructive capabilities.
Athena alone posed a significant challenge, and adding Susanoo to the mix would be overkill for me, not to mention Tsukuyomi, the moon god.
He may appear calm and weak, but he's anything but that. Like the moon, he's eternal and cannot die until the moon shines brightly in the sky. Moreover, he had the love of humans, making him immortal and very powerful in terms of faith alone. In front of these three, I never stood a chance.
Luck seemed to shine on me, though, as the three decided instead of fighting among themselves (as it would only cause destruction on Earth), they would create their own worlds and reincarnate people from Earth as their champions in their respective realms. These champions would train, fight, and strive to become the best.
Eventually, they would make their champions fight each other to the death, with the last one standing becoming the God of Earth. The others would have to leave, and no god should interfere in each other's world. Furthermore, each had to choose humans as their champions to level the playing field.
This led to the necessity of beings against humans to challenge and empower them, hence the birth of demons, demi-humans, and monsters. Gods or goddesses could not directly help these beings grow stronger, as it would easily empower them, and they could become a threat.
This plan seemed perfect to the three gods. They never considered my opinion, seeing me as weak and of no threat to them. They pushed me to be the last to choose people for reincarnation, selecting individuals with no ambition or talent to grow stronger for me to reincarnate.
This continued for many centuries as I was bullied and pushed around by the other three gods for their amusement, weakening my world. I couldn't find a suitable champion candidate, let alone one who could challenge the other gods as the three always dominated the selection process. I felt the weight of their disdain, their bullying, and their mockery.
Centuries passed, and I had no champions. But then, a ray of hope appeared in the form of Kanart Lo. He was born with exceptional talent in magic and was a great mage who worked very hard. Seeing him ignited my lost hope, as he had potential that far surpassed people from Earth who reincarnated as champions.
You see, I may lack destructive capabilities through sheer raw power, but my status as the goddess of creation has granted me a remarkable ability—to craft a world without an upper limit to power. It was a clever loophole I discovered within my powers. If I couldn't overpower the other three gods with sheer might, I would outwit them with my seemingly non-threatening power of creation.
The world I brought into existence possessed a boundless potential for power, unlike the realms crafted by the other deities. Here, anyone who possessed the diligence and talent could achieve unparalleled strength—not just reaching the level of champions but ascending to godhood itself. They could stand shoulder to shoulder with me and the other three gods, perhaps even surpassing us in power.
This awe-inspiring and terrifying ability was the essence of my creation, and it extended to all inhabitants of this world, be they humans, demons, demi-humans, or monsters. As long as they possessed the drive and determination, they could tap into this potential. This was the true power of creation that I wielded.
Yet, despite the incredible opportunities my world offered, it required a capable individual to harness and exploit its full potential. This is why I turned to the champions, the reincarnators from Earth.
They possessed the densest and most abundant mana compared to the native inhabitants of this newly formed world, making them the most suitable candidates. Thus, like the other three gods, I chose to bring people from Earth into my realm.
I watched over him without much interference, holding high hopes that he could join me and support me against the other three gods. I wanted him to become a god who could stand beside me against the others, not just a champion who would fight for me until death.
I cared for him as if he were my own son. I showered him with all he needed to grow stronger, supporting his every endeavor. I yearned for a day when he would stand beside me, a God in his own right, capable of challenging the other three gods who had long looked down upon me.
Yet, my dreams were shattered when I witnessed his life choices and actions. Despite his incredible potential, he chose a path that filled me with frustration and disappointment. He was prepared to marry a woman who had betrayed him, a choice that seemed to lead to his own downfall.
I couldn't stand idly by, watching him tread this perilous path. It was like witnessing a son straying from the righteous way, on a journey of self-destruction. Driven by despair, I appeared before him, intent on warning him of the dire consequences awaiting him.
But my hopes were dashed when I heard his request—a plea for my assistance in sending him and his beloved to Earth. Desperate to escape my world, he was willing to abandon the boundless potential I had offered. Despite my desperate attempts to dissuade them, I watched helplessly as they completed twelve impossible trials and insisted on being reincarnated.
In a final, desperate effort, I made them a promise. I vowed to erase all the suffering and shame they had endured in my world. But my words fell on deaf ears. They remained unwavering in their resolve to leave my realm.
In the end, I succumbed to their plea. I couldn't deny the one who had grown dear to me, the one I regarded as my own son. With all my power, I reincarnated them on Earth.
Their choice stung, However, as they departed they had offered me a glimmer of hope—a promise.
Before their departure, Kanart Lo, in a solemn pact, promised me his child, his own son. He pledged that when his child reincarnated, he would become my champion, my hero. It was a bittersweet gesture that brought a small measure of comfort, for I knew his child may possess the potential to rival or even surpass his father's power.
Yet, this act did not come without consequences. Unbeknownst to both of them, their actions had not gone unnoticed by the other three gods. In unanimous agreement, they decided that I must be punished for the sin of reincarnating someone onto Earth—a transgression against the established order.
The three gods, intrigued by Kanart's inexplicable strength, delved into the secrets of my world. They uncovered its boundless potential and its unique ability to grant limitless power to its inhabitants. Despite my protests, they continued their invasive scrutiny, discovering my pact with Kanart and the extraordinary nature of my world.
However, they were bound by a pact that prevented them from killing one another. Consequently, they resorted to an alternative form of retribution. They masked their actions as a punishment for my sin.
The punishment they imposed upon me was cruel and devastating. It stripped away the one glimmer of hope I had clung to—the chance to favor Kanart's own child when reincarnated into my world. This decree effectively shattered my aspirations of survival and standing against the three gods who had tormented me for so long.
Without a worthy champion or a person capable of harnessing its limitless potential, the very essence of my world's power became utterly useless. It is a bitter blow, one that left me feeling more isolated and powerless than ever before.
Yet, I would not be defeated. I devised a plan. When his son reincarnated, as per the plan, I would berate him with superficial insults, making him despise me. This would prevent me from directly helping him, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make.
My intention is to push him to grow stronger, to become a god, and, ultimately, to see the true nature of the three gods who had wronged me. Even if it meant that I would be killed by his hatred in the end.
This is my vengeance against the 3 gods." With unwavering determination and a newfound spark of hope, She concluded the narrative of her tragic backstory.
I sat there, utterly stunned, unable to even twitch a muscle for what felt like an eternity. The narrative I had just heard was nothing short of mind-bending. It was like a plot twist in an epic tale, except this was the Dark reality of this world.
But the terrifying part was that every word she uttered was RAW TRUTH, as the story was unlocking itself in the book of this World that I possess in
As she spoke, the narrative of her world unfolded in the Book, and every word she uttered was meticulously etched into its pages. There was no room for doubt or deception; this was the grim history of the world I am in now.
The book can only reveal information when it's based on absolute truth. Anything false simply doesn't exist within its pages, for they could never exist as truths in the first place.
This ability of mine was like a built-in lie detector. It discerned between Truth and Fallacy, between the genuine and the fabricated. Another broken ability from the system.
But in all this one thing is clear, she is in the worst possible situation and to top it all she is COMPLETELY ALONE to face them.
Loneliness, I realized, is the true Bane of existence. Nobody deserves to be lonely, to be without someone who cares for them.
While I grappled with my thoughts, her voice, gentle and compassionate, broke the oppressive silence "You should leave as fast as possible. If the other three Gods arrive, they may kill you..." she cautioned, still keeping her head down.
And this single sentence hit the nail in the coffin, I swiftly came to a decision on how to proceed in this perplexing world. I had made up my mind, and I was resolute in the path I was about to tread in this World of Moonlit Fantasy.
I gently lifted her chin, urging her to rise and meet my gaze. As our eyes locked, I spoke with firm yet caring assurance.
"You haven't done anything wrong, so hold your head high with confidence," I said. She responded with a subtle nod. I continued, my voice resolute, "And don't shed another tear. As long as I'm alive, I won't let anyone bring you sorrow again, understood?"
Her eyes, filled with a mix of affection and hope, met mine. She replied softly, "...Umu," her response barely audible.
"And you'll accompany me on my travels, alright?" I asked, seamlessly continuing the conversation.
She nodded again, still seemingly entranced. "Umm..."
"Eh...? What?" She suddenly snapped out of her reverie, confusion overtaking her as she processed the weight of her agreement.
I responded casually, as if it were the most ordinary request in the world, "Well, I want you to join me on my travels within your world."
Her voice quivered with a tinge of sadness as she questioned, "Why...? Why me? Do you realize that aligning yourself with me will make you an enemy of the other three gods?"
The harsh truth of her predicament weighed heavy in her words.
I stated firmly, "By now, you can probably guess that I do what I believe is right, especially when it comes to my people and the ones I Love." I revealed my stance and principles, then continued with a grin, "And I won't deny it, I'm starting to like you."
She blushed but responded with a hint of despair, "But the beings other than humans despise me... I can never make up for all the suffering they endured because of us, the Gods." Her voice carried the weight of her remorse, knowing her past mistakes but feeling powerless to amend them.
"No, I'm not asking you to repay them right now," I reassured her. "I'm asking you to stand by my side, to witness their struggles and victories, and to become a part of their world, not someone who stands above them." My words resonated with authority as I continued,
"One can truly understand their people only when they walk among them. This is what I believe, and it holds true for anyone, whether a ruler, a king, an emperor, or even a God."
Her eyes widened as she absorbed my words, and I extended my hand toward her. "So, Goddess," I addressed her formally, "tell me, would you like to travel with me, Grey, In the Land of Mortals?" I waited, my hand offered for her to take if she agreed.
A lovely smile graced her face, and she replied, "Ava, my name is Ava. And I would love to walk with you in your travels, Grey." With that declaration, we both stood up, our hands coming together and fingers intertwining.
In a brilliant flash of light, we vanished.