MoPako System

Mettel meanwhile, was sitting by a circular wide table stuffed to the brim with Cavien's family's cultural dishes. When he tasted it, the lamb curry almost burst its juices in his mouth.

'Juicy, so spicy. No, it's explosive!' This was arguably the tastiest dish the boy ever had.

"So, what'd you think of the race? As for me, the race made my chest pumping! So many twists, surprise attacks and turns—most of all, that girl Arwen!" Cavien shouted out loud, forking a particularly tender vegetable piece. Raynel bumped his shoulder into the former.

"What, Raynel?" Raynel gave Cavien the rise of eyebrows and a mischievous smirk on.

"You like that girl, don't ya? I can see your eyes shining when looking at her."

"W-what no! I don't like that girl; she looks scary. No, I just, I just thought it would be nice if I could be as good as her someday and talk to Tryndale in person."

"Ah jealousy. From an aspiring monster raider." Raynel sipped calmly. Cavien's cheeks flushed, from embarrassment or frustration, perhaps both.

Mettel grasped his fork while he watched the banter. Awkward didn't put it, he felt out of place as a whole. Just what was he even doing here—in Cavien's family home which looked like an exotic world of a mansion? Mettel gazed at the walls, the paintings hung, the little trinkets, the pelts of animal fur and then the other kids around the table. They were too busy eating their fill.

"Hahaha, Cavien, I would not stop you if you wanted to be a raider but you going to need either talent or lots of connections—which you and I don't have—to get a monster companion. I bet that Arwen girl had a master help her tame that Cervalis." A heavy booming voice filled the dining hall from Cavien's father. A big bellied brown skinned man, with the same luxurious clothing that Cavien wore, except he had an additional animal hide wrapped around his waist.

If out of place was the end of it, that would also be okay—it's free food for a slight uncomfortable seat. But the other kids kept glancing at him, whispering, the look in their eyes like he was a flying roach. It's… really disorienting.

Cavien did not notice, but Raynel did. The blank look of the boy's face become even more devoid of light. Mettel searched for a way out of this not-so-pleasant experience and just as he let up from his seat, willing to excuse himself in the bathroom but actually getting out when a familiar person appeared by the entrance.

"Ah there you are Mettel. I was just looking for you. Having a late afternoon lunch with friends, I see."

"Sister Jess! Everybody's friendly neighborhood nun, how wonderful to see you here. Welcome, welcome. Take a seat, I never expected you to visit my abode so I'm really surprised. Did Vatiri let you in?"

"Yes, Mr. Sahid, he respectfully let me in after I expressed my purpose of looking for Mettel. But seeing as he's settled here, I see no problems in just leaving him be." Sahid powerfully laughed.

"Yes yes. Let him be new friends with my shining sun Cavien here. All is good, all is good. Why don't you partake in having some food, as well? Though, I am not sure if any here you're allowed to eat." Jess shook her head in politeness, stating that she's full already. Unexpectedly, Mettel called out, his chair scraping against the floor.

"Wait, take me with you!" Jess momentarily appeared surprised. But she agreed anyway.

"Sure, come with me now. You've eaten your fill?" Mettel nodded, and while showing his gratitude to Cavien's father with a hasty bow, he went out before Cavien could voice a protest.

"Ah. Wait… Pa, why did you let him leave? We haven't talked much at all."

"Oh, then you talk to him another day. What's the big deal? Though, if you want to make friends with him, do it soon." The father then went on to making jokes for the other kids, such as how the goat kicked him in the bum one day while herding sheep or how working in the repairs of a ship, he and his crewmates angered the repair leader by playing a board game without permission which made the leader slap him in the head and falling to the water. Such and such stories.

 Cavien quizzically looked at his father's comment and promptly forgot about it as he listened to the same stories he already heard; Raynel understood though.

'Is what he did really that serious? Hmmm couldn't tell, couldn't care. It's not my business. Better think more about the project I have…' Raynel chewed on his steak curry.

Meanwhile, outside, Mettel also felt oddly awkward around Sister Jess. He did throw a shoe at her yesterday. What was he supposed to even talk with the pale and thin-lipped nun about? Sister Jess spoke suddenly which threw him out of the loop.

"I must mention that Master Hartold is soon to return, perhaps around evening by dinner."

"Huh? He's about to return?" Jess softly nodded.

"Before then, where would you like to go? Have you joined any games yet?"

"I—I didn't." Mettel was too nervous to ask why Sister Jess continued to treat him any different, but he backed off, so he changed the topic, "I'd stay in the church instead. Listen to the church organ and read some passages, maybe. To pass the time." Jess glanced at him.

"Are you sure? Most kids find the music boring and the scripture passages dull that they often feel asleep when I read them some verses. We do have some entertainment, like the card game created by Sonia's, for our orphanage activities. But they're not fun to play with just two people." 

The two arrived at the church's door by then. When Mettel saw the holy statue in front of the prayer hall, he asked:

"How about Mother Laresa? How is she?"

"Oh… she's still bedridden. Not long to live, however." Jess said matter-of-factly. Mettel was taken aback. He apologized. The nun then sat by one of the empty pews, the church hall itself was already scarce of visitors who went to pray.

"You know, you're mature for your age Mettel. For the last three years you've been here, you're no longer as angry as you were. And yet, you clearly felt out-of-place even back there. Or perhaps you remain that way of choice, hmm?" Mettel also sat by down beside her. Where was this going to? He hemmed and hawed before he answered:

"I, I don't, no, why should I even answer you?"

"Ah you don't have to, so spare me the shoe please. I was just curious is all." Jess answered without ripple. Silent. Before long Mettel remembered Erick's words and all the things he'd done. Why was he so aggressive anyway? To this person?

'Ah. She reminds me of my mother.' That thought passed through his mind when Jess opened her mouth.

"Alright, to pass the time, how about a story of the god in front of us? Are you interested? I'll continue anyway even if you're not. Ahem."

"Long ago, around the time the Great Dungeon Chasm was discovered, an unknown explorer found a strange gem-like stone found in one of its depths. The gem held extraordinary powers and transcendent luck, as the records say, and when the explorer held it for long enough—they heard a voice. It is unknown or lost in the records what has been said but there's one word that stuck; 'System'. After that, the explorer experienced the loss of their country due to a calamitous event; the first Monster Outbreak. Driven to grief, they smashed the gemstone in an altar and transcended their mortal shell—becoming the god we see now. The Deity of Great Sorrow, Serath. That is not the sole reason they were named that way however, for Serath was believed to be related to the Celestial Huntress, the very same legend we are now celebrating this harvest festival. I believe her name was…"

"Lycren. Lycren's Arrow." A weak voice called out from one of the alcoves, footsteps rung out and revealed an emaciated figure of an elderly woman, cloaked in all black. Cassocks, a soft-rounded cap, and a mantle. Her eyes were all white.

"Mother Laresa! What are you doing here?" In quick movements, Jess stood up from her seat to support Mother Laresa, which she pays no heed to, looking at the boy with white hair instead.

"Mettel, Hartold's adoptive son. This is the first time we met I believe." A kind smile crept on the elderly's face, leaving Mettel greatly flustered.

"Ah uhm, huh?" Adoptive son? What is she talking about? She was sat down by Jess, who took the length to persuade her to return.

"Jess, my sweet daughter. I may have to bring you the trouble of bringing your brothers and sisters in my cell. I have something to tell them. I sense my time growing near—I fear this is the last time I will be able to walk. However, I have a message to send to Hartold before I finally go bedridden for good." Jess grew silent.

"…. I understand." She stood and bowed to her waist, going away at once. It was unknown what she thought with her stone-like face.

"Now then, how are you, Mettel boy?"

"I'm good… what message do you have for my master?" Mettel came up to the elderly woman, taking her hand as she sat by his side, sighing with relief.

"It's nothing serious, I just want to impart a message to your old man Hartold. I am not sure if I'll have the time later to talk to him. Still, yes, I'll tell the message after the story. That reminds me, you two there, you hiding boy come here and sit by us." A startled yelp came out of nowhere.

'Huh?' Furious whispers then could be heard behind the pillar where Raynel and Cavien came out from. Raynel was particularly embarrassed whereas the other was only smiling sheepishly. Mother Laresa chuckled as she pointed the seat beside Mettel, who was looking at them with a massive question mark on his face.

"Why are you two here?" He asked.

"Well, you know, I kinda got bored staying in my house. The others left very soon so Raynel suggested we go follow you and I thought it was a fun idea. Here we are."

"Hey don't put the blame on me, you were the one who asked for my input." Cavien shrugged his shoulders, as if saying 'who asked?' Raynel's gaze darkened.

"Now, now, boys. Don't argue. At least, don't argue in front of my old bones. Do it somewhere in a safe place. Hahaha." The three were dumbfounded at her remarks—shouldn't she admonish them or something? Why encourage it? Finally, the two boys sat down after the fanfare.

"Now, listen." Mother Laresa continued the story from before, amidst the boy's confusion.

"Lycren, that's the name of the Celestial Huntress. A person of great importance to Serath, though the scholars weren't able to finalize on their relationship. Lovers, siblings, friends, family member—they kept on arguing on the subject. What was proven from the ancient records is that Lycren was a powerful talented human, even without any Tezhe she could slay monsters with her own hands. Serath, however was unknown so there is not much about them aside from being the earliest record of them as an explorer. At the day of the calamity, Lycren and other brave heroes fought off the monster invasion—the first of many as you might know them as Aether outbreak. Where the world's mana anther reaches a critical point that makes the Monsters go into a frenzy. Without any Tezhe at the time, humanity and other races were hard pressed to deal with them. Although it helped that the monsters were weaker as well, for there were only 5th stage monsters as the apex predators.

At the moment of deepest hopelessness, Lycren's Arrow, a sparkling radiant star flew across the night sky, illuminating the fires and black smoke ravaging their land—and vanquishing a being equivalent to an 5th stage Monster. At the cost of her own life. Yet even that was not enough to stop the invasion. Eventually the country fell and everybody Serath loved perished. That was how they became the Deity of Great Sorrow. The rest is history as you know, Serath was the one of the first gods to create their own Tezhe, related to the rainy weather and storms, using it to usher a new growth of life. All Tezhe pathways that relate to weather or storms are to come from him, as the scriptures say. Kind of ironic, isn't it? Sorrow and pain bringing forth life." Mother Laresa coughed occasionally during her speech, stopping one or two times to catch her breath. Her voice gradually became weaker at the end until it became almost whisper.

"Woah, so that's why a lot of the passages in the scripture related to sorrow, pain, anger, and hatred. Instead of avoidance, embrace it for change." Cavien opined. Raynel, who was silent all the while, asked:

"There's something off. The legend stated that the Celestial Huntress, Lycren, shot her arrow, killing the monster, and brought victory upon all, hence why people come to remember her legend as a wish-granting event. How come in that story, Lycren presumably failed?" Mother Laresa's eyes gleamed at his response.

"That's a good question. Even I don't know the answer to this. Perhaps you may ask Hartold about this. He knows more about the legend and the Deity of Great Sorrow more than I. As for the message," She turned to Mettel, who was still digesting the story, "The matter you asked me to: it's close. Extremely close. You must *cough* hurry and find *cough* them…"

"Mother Laresa!" A nun of the church hurriedly came by from within the halls, rushing over in hearing the elderly woman's increasingly harsh condition. She supported Mother Laresa, excusing themselves to the three boys. They disappeared under their concerned looks.

"What just happened? Will Mother Laresa be okay?" Cavien asked.

"Beats me. That story of the legend is really curious. I'd better go to the library to know more about this. After I came here for my purpose." Raynel turned to Mettel and cleared his throat,

"Mettel, I want to ask, did your Master leave you any materials to study? Any study books about monsters and such?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do, but why?"

"Can I take a look at it? Better yet, can I borrow it?" Mettel's eyes were laden with doubt.

"…. Sure, why not? More importantly, why are you two even here? I recall you were just having an early dinner back in the house."

"Oh, right, I was indeed just enjoying my time when Raynel snuck in the middle of the party. I tagged along, the others too but their parents came to fetch them, so here we are. But this works, since we're going to Mettel's house, why don't we go to the place I always talked to you about, Raynel? Since it's close by Mettel's part of the neighborhood." Raynel rolled his eyes at that reasoning.

"Yeah yeah alright. What's it to you anyway? It's just some shady scheme—I mean, a magical artifact that's been hidden and has special properties could be found there? Better say it's a special rock that makes you feel special something. Lubba dubba woo."

"Hey, I don't believe it either, but there's bound to be some interesting stuff. Like a rock that levitates or something. I gotta get one for myself after Orion showed off his powered ore."

"Uhmm, why am I needed for this adventure, exactly? And why now in the festival we're having?"

Mettel asked with suspicion. He was NOT going to get forced somewhere again, even if he did see an exciting scene of LandScape Rush.