《The Monster Girl Heroines And The Hero Hub》 Episode 001: Introducing The Hero Hub "So... You''re saying, not only Earth, butallof physical reality was wiped out." "Yes," said the blonde, I-wear-my-anxiety-on-my-face ''goddess.'' "So... the apocalypse that befell Earth wasthatbad?" "Yes." "Uhuh, okay. And now,youwant to enlistmeon to your project to save thesubtle worlds¡ªthat''s what you called them, right?" "Yes." "And these subtle worlds are worlds that exist in another dimension from the physical¡ªtheImaginal Realm... And is where creatures of legend and myth reside?" "It''s also the dimension that inspires¡ªoh, sorry¡ªonce inspiredthe imagination of the physical universe''s humans." "Okay. Got that. And this project is the..." "Hero Hub Project! "And the goal of your project is to make a paradise for heroes where they can go and take breaks in between their adventures?" "That was the gist, yes. What do you think, Fainn?" I sighed. "Yeah, okay. You mentioned you could wipe some of my memory?" She nodded. "Okay. Do it. Get rid of the gruesome details ofthatapocalypse. I don''t want to remember it. I don''t mind keeping thedetails and knowledge, like the knowledge that my family and everyone I knew is dead. I''ll keep those facts. Just take away the images. Can you do that?" She flared her nostrils and nodded repeatedly. "I can definitely do that!" She sprinkled me with shining dust. "Here we go! Done!" I tried to draw up the images that haunted my nights, but nothing. Nada. Zilch. Hallelujah. "Alright. Count me in, Goddess Svilran." I extended my hand to her, the blond, blue-eyed goddess with puffy pink cheeks. She jumped up with delight and readjusted her white gown before eagerly taking my hand. She showed me the grin that would be home on an eager child''s face. "Pleased to be teaming up with you, Fin!" *** Walk and Talk So, we were out standing on a thin layer of water that reflected the cosmos that surrounded us. Pretty crazy, I guess. I was pretty drab compared to the voluptuous goddess before me and the scenery. She didn''t seem to mind, though¡ªthank god for that. I couldn''t imagine being stuck with a vain god on her passion project. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Okay, Svilran, you gave me the executive summary. What do I need to know?" She enthusiastically held up a finger. "Our goal is to create a hub world for the heroes of the fantastical worlds to return to and leave from." "Right, and we need to do that because¡ª" Svilran clenched her fist, squeezing out some yellow stars as she did. "Because the reality that''s left NEEDS heroes!" She created an image of Earth. "When Earth ended, it unleashed all the metaphysical evil humanity had bred and nursed since the Age of Atlantis out into the Imaginal Realms! Demons¡ªboth the named ones and the amalgams¡ª vengeful spirits, djinn, elder evils, bad juju¡ªit all came out!" She crossed her hands and nodded. "Earth was kind of like this giant cosmic plug¡ª" "And humans exacerbated what Earth was plugging up?" "Yeah. Earth''s Humans have really powerful minds, you see¡ª" I put up my hand. "Hold on. This is an incredibly important question. Are humans the root of all evil?" "Oh, goodness no. The physical dimensions'' humans aren''t and weren''t." "Oh, whew. I thought we were going there¡ª" "They were justreallygood at making it worse." I dropped the semblance of the smile that I had. "It''s like you had one evil entity that was worth 1 point. It found a human and whispered into its ear, and then the human went and boosted the evilness in the world by five points." I sighed. "Okay, this is pretty human-centric. Question. Are aliens real?" Svilran smiled. "I have no idea." "Huh?" "I''m a god belonging to Earth''s solar system. I don''t know about anyone else out there in the physical realm. I mean, wedohave the Venusians and the folks from Neptune, but they were residents of the subtle worlds from the start. They just happened to be close enough to cross... They''re not the aliens you''re thinking of." "Are you sure? I''m willing to accept Venus ghosts as aliens." "But they really aren''t. The beings that correspond tootherplanets stillbelongto theEarth-Sphere. Hey, do you remember the constellations? Like Leo and Cygnus and that stuff?" "Yup." "Would you call Cygnus, the entity that reflectsthatconstellation, an alien?" I put my hand on my chin. "Huh... No?" "Why not? He came from outer space." "But humans made up the constellations¡ª" "Did they? Or was it because someone like Cygnus existed that humans could think to see a swan in the stars? Did the thought that created the entity come first, or did the thought come because the entity was there to inspire it?" "Okay. Got it. Won''t ask... But wait, what happened to Cygnus then?" "Oh, he died." I was silent. "But to be fair, a lot of Earth''s gods died." "Butyoudidn''t? Actually, come to think of it, I''ve never heard of aSvilran." Her eyes went wide as she laughed off my observation. "That''s because I wasn''t in the public eye, silly! Anyway, the Earthly Gods were on the top of the dog-pile because of our proximity to physical-human minds. Mostof thegodsleft now are the minor-relative-to-us gods that govern the fantastical worlds of the Imaginal Realm." "Hmm... Okay... So humans made a problem worse than it was, and then we hit critical mass, and because of our place in the cosmos, it ruined things significantly." "Right." Svilran held up her hands. "But not humans'' fault. Everyone makes mistakes¡ª" "Aww, that''s a merciful thought." "¡ªand humans just kept making them over and over. Honestly, you kind of had to wonder how a group could be so stupid. But again, everyone deserves a second chance." I blinked at her many times. She smiled at me in turn. "Uhuh. Okay... Thanks for the second chance, I guess." "You earned it, Fainn!" she said as she slapped my back and laughed. Well, it was good that one of us was energetic. It was kind of odd that I was feeling more animated with every slap though... Episode 001: Introducing The Hero Hub Part 02 "Okay, so back on topic. We are doing this project." "Yes, so we will create a hub world. Let''s get started!" Svilran raised her hand, and land came up from beneath our feet. Then, a screen appeared in front of my eyes. "That''s a reflection of your land. I modeled the interface to reflect the video games you played." I looked at the screen and then the brown and dusty land that Svilran raised from the water. "This isn''t a lot of space. I can see the edges on all sides." "I know. I don''t have enough power to make more." "How do we get you more power? With this amount of land¡ªwell, we could fit maybe a hamlet here if we''re lucky." "You need to do it, Fainn. As we develop the land, more points will be available to me." "So, a god really needs my help?" "Yes! See, I''m what''s called a Facilitator God. I can''t actually do anything on my own. I need to be directed¡ªgods would have directed me in the past. Anyway, I can influence reality in exchange, but again, it needs to be under the approved person''s direction." "And I''m the approved person?" "Yes. I whisked you away at the last moment because I believed in you, Fainn!" "Right, I got that. Thanks. So we have empty land. There''s still something you can do, right?" "Yes! I have many pools of points for different functions. I just used all my Terraforma Points. I still have my Building Points... By the way, I''m calling it points just to explain it to you." "Appreciated. So Building Points. What can we build?" "Here''s what I think we need to do! Absolutely essential! We need a ?Home?¡ªfor you¡ªa ?Portal?, a ?Dormitory? for the heroes, and an ?Observatory? that we can use to watch heroes. Oh, there''s one more super important thing." "What is it?" "A ?Wishing Fountain?." I stared at her and blinked many times, unamused. "Why?" "We''re going to need divine intervention. A LOT of divine intervention." "Aren''t you the divine intervention?" "Nope. I can''t do anything on my own. Also, we''re not on Earth anymore. We''ve shifted dimensions, and I don''t have much power in the Imaginal Realm. The problem is exacerbated since losing Earth caused a massive reconfiguration of the hierarchy between the gods of this dimension. In summary, we need to petition the gods at the top of the Imaginal Realm''s hierarchy¡ªThe Imaginal Will. We''re not going to get far if we don''t get help every now and again." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "But we have to petition them by wishing? Shouldn''t they be invested in stopping the surging evil?" Svilran started sweating. "So, I really mean it when I say the more a god had to do with the physical realm''s humans, the more developed the god was." "Uhuh." "The gods at the top of the The Imaginal Realm are more primal. They''re like a natural phenomenon... They''re more innocent too... Like a child. We won''t be able to reason with them." "Hmm." "Apparently, that nature allows them to oversee the infinity of the Imaginal Realm fairly." "So, we need to grab the attention of a child and hope it helps us how we need it to help us?" "... Yes." What could I do but heave a heavy sigh and shrug? "Okay. Very well. That''s how it shakes out." "Whew," Svilran said. "I thought you were going to get annoyed." I shrugged again. "Honestly? I''m pretty emotionally drained. After the last year of my life¡ªyeah, I''m just not up for getting worked up. Just tell me this." "Yes?" "This project¡ªwill it save others?" "Of course!" "Then I don''t care how annoying the process is. We''re saving people. And I guess cleaning up the evil humanity let out into the metaphysical cosmos." "I''m happy to hear that! I knew you were the right choice!" "Hey, actually, what happened to the other humans who were still around at the end?" Svilran started sweating again, and she looked away. "I''m not allowed to tell you details... I can say anyone who still had a soul was ferried away... Some might have ended up in the Imaginal Realm." "Okay, got it. Good to know. Okay, so those structures¡ªyou got enough points to make the essentials?" "I do! You just have to decide where you want to place them!" "Okay, we''ll place the -Wishing Fountain- in the center. We''ll put the -Home-, -Portal- and -Observatory- close together. Dormitories can go on the other side... So, the -Wishing Fountain- is about nine minutes worth of a walk away from the -Home-, and the -Dormitory- is about twelve." "Excellent work, Fainn!" Svilran clapped her hands, rubbed her palms together, and flung her arms out, releasing stars as she did. The stars found their place and settled to form the buildings. "Thanks, though you''re the one doing all the heavy lifting." "Aww, stop. Anyway, we''ve got the basic buildings, but we need something else." "What''s that?" "Another category of... thing. Resources. Resources will be important for many functions." "Alright. Bring it on." "I have a few Resource Points. We can use them to build a Resource Square. I''m calling it that because of how the map is represented on your interface." "Got that. Go on. What can we create?" "Only one type of Resource Square currently... We have different versions of that one type. I''d recommend a -Jungle-. The one I can create will generate one type of fruit, one type of wood, and a Resource Point a day. We can call this type a ''Simple Generation'' Resource Square." "So, we invest points to get them back later... Oh, is the fruit and wood something that is automatically collected?" She shook her head. "We have to collect it ourselves... Don''t worry about it too much for now. What matters is that by picking -Jungle- we have fruit for you to eat in case you still need it. We can''t neglect to sustain your body!" "Alright. Let''s do it." Episode 001: Introducing The Hero Hub Part 03 "Okay, the jungle''s at the edge of the map... Are there any other ways of replenishing your Resource Points?" "Outside of working with Heroes, I''m not too sure..." She noticed the weird stare I was shooting her and waved her hands frantically. "I mean to say this is kind of new to me too! The extents of what I can do are still being incorporated into this new reality." "Hmm... Odd... Hey, there''s a hierarchy of gods and whatnot... Do you have a direct superior?" She started sweating again, this time stammering as her eyes darted around. "Sort of? It''s kind of hard to explain, but yes, I have someone that oversees my work." "Okay. Don''t worry; it''s not important. Anyway, come on. Let''s check out the jungle¡ªI''m actually kind of hungry¡ª" Right as I was about to turn, I noticed a glow coming from Svilran. "Fainn..." she said feebly. I turned on my heels immediately and looked at her to see a feeble smile and many balls of light radiating from her and disappearing when they got too far. "Svilran? What''s wrong?" The balls didn''t stop floating out of her. "The truth is, Fainn, I didn''t have any points... The building we created¡ªI created them using the last of the deific power I kept from my time as one of Earth''s deities." I reached for her hand, and it broke into many dots of light. "Wait. Waitwaitwait. What? No¡ª" "It''s okay, Fainn. The goddess, Svilran, stopped being so centuries ago... It''s okay." "Wait, I don''t understand¡ªthe points¡ª" "They''re something that has to be earned. I never had any because, like you, I walked into an entirely new reality... I fabricated them." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "So, I''m being left alone again?" She shook her head and smiled with her eyes closed. "No, you''ll have a companion with you who will help you." "But... No, what if I like you?" Her eyes went wide as she whispered something I couldn''t make out. "You''re the first person I''ve talked with in months¡ªyou can''t just leave," I said. "That''s not fair¡ª" "I''m... not worthy of fairness, Fainn." "Hey, come on, don''t say that." I reached for her shoulder, but my hand went right through, breaking it into more balls of light. "Svilran." "It''s okay, Fainn," she said. "This is my farewell as Goddess Svilran..." It was only a second. She lasted for only a second after her farewell. After that second had passed, no trace of her was left. My hands fell to my side, and I took a deep breath in. "See ya... Svilran." Light radiated from behind me. It must have been the companion she mentioned appearing. I turned around to greet them. "Hey, I''m Fainn; nice to meet you¡ª huh? What the?" "Hi, Fainn!" The person before me hopped on a leg and posed. "Super Servant Extraordinaire, Svilran, ready to help!" said Svilran, now wearing a modest but still asset-accentuating french maid outfit. My jaw fell slack. "Hahaha! Are you surprised, Fainn? I got you, didn''t I? Hahaha¡ªNO, Fainn! Don''t! Where are you going?!" She ran after me while I marched to the jungle. "What even was all of that?" "Those were my final moments as a goddess! I''m not a goddess anymore! I mean¡ªEarth''s not around anymore, so kind of hard to be a goddess of a planet when said planet doesn''t exist anymore." "So, what are you now?" I asked, still miffed and with my eyes locked on the jungle ahead. She ran ahead of me and posed with her hands on her hips. "I''m a Hub World Facilitator! Fainn! Stop! Look at me, Fainn!" "Great," I said succinctly. I heard her groan in frustration behind me¡ªit sounded slightly adorable, but I kept my wits about me. Then, she got me by surprise when she popped her head out from behind me. Fighting to keep my frown, I looked at her. "Fainn!" she said. Her hand was firmly holding mine. She smiled brightly when we made eye contact. "I like you too! I''m happy to be working with you! Let''s make the best Hero Hub!" She broke me, and I smiled back. "Fine. Let''s do it. Don''t think I''m forgetting this one, though." "Nooo, Fainn! Come on! It was a joke!" "Why are you even wearing a maid outfit?" Svilran skipped ahead and posed. She winked at me and sent a gold star flying out of her eye. "Do you like it? It''s cute, isn''t it?" I committed her outfit and all her curves to memory as I walked past her silently. "Fainn! It''s cute right? I''ve always wanted to wear one!" "Glad you''re getting to live your dreams there, bud." Truth be told, she was exceedingly cute and incredibly alluring. She didn''t need to know that though. Episode 002: Finding Our First Hero "Never did I think I would find a watermelon hanging from a branch," I said as I took a bite from a slice of said watermelon. I was sitting on a giant telescope''s extremely comfortable observation seat¡ªone that was fixed atop an elevated platform in the center of the room. Said room was cylindrical, and the walls and floors were a cool blue. There were all sorts of pipes and random fixtures along the wall, but they didn''t seem all too important. Anyway, a giant bronze and silver telescope was before me, and its base was fixed to and supported by the platform. This platform was spacious enough to fit a few extra chairs and also had rails around the perimeter. This was the -Observatory-. Here, we would somehow adjust the telescope''s orientation and find a Hero to recruit. The telescope had a traditional eyepiece, but it also had a screen next to it¡ªmost likely for showing us the hero more conveniently. "Yup!" Svilran said as she munched on her own slice. "We don''t need to be so caught up on Earth''s logic¡ªwe''re not there anymore after all!" She cut another slice from the watermelon we brought along. "Do you want another slice, Fainn? It''s heavenly, isn''t it?" "Nah. I''m alright... So, how do we make this work?" I asked, poking the telescope''s various knobs. "We''d kind of drive the telescope around until we found someone who qualifies." "How will we know if they qualify?" "The telescope will show us a special glow around the person." "Hmm... Okay... So, we just have to search randomly? Aren''t there infinite worlds out there?" Svilran nodded many times. "Yup, at this stage, we can only search at random and hope we find someone." "Holy crap¡ªthe powers that be aren''t setting us up for success..." "It''s okay!" Svilran said, hopping on one foot beside me. "I threw a watermelon slice into the wishing well¡ª" "God, I hope I don''t have to clean that up." "¡ªand made a wish!" Svilran found the wooden steering wheel next to the telescope¡ªone that I somehow missed¡ªand grabbed it like it was the wheel of a ship. "Maybe there''s a big one out there who''s willing to help us out." Svilran licked her lips and spun the wheel. "Fainn! Turn those knobs at random!'' she declared. "Uhh." The gap between our excitement levels was as pronounced as the difference between a block of ice and fire. "Okay." I played with the knobs randomly. "THERE!" she yelled as she threw herself across my face. You see, the steering wheel was on my left, and the screen was on my right. This excitable woman spotted something on the screen and leaned over me, shoving the side of her breast against my face in the process. "Fainn! Fainn! There! Do you see the glow?" Why, no, of course, I couldn''t see the glow, Svilran. Your boob¡ªone comparable to the watermelon we snacked on, was in my face. Actually, that was a lie; it was bigger, as I was being forced to find out. I could hear her fiddling with the knobs on the telescope. "Almost... Almost got it..." At this point, I was just happy I could still breathe. Truth be told, it had been a long time since I had anyone to talk to¡ªwomen obviously included¡ªso it wasn''t like this was the worst. Actually, to her credit, this half-assed and extremely serendipitous embrace was heavenly. Not really sure how it worked, but it felt like her side-boob was a fluffy cloud hugging my face. It almost felt like it was liquid happiness splashing my face too. Not too sure how that worked though... Was she sweating? Did goddesses sweat? Her skin was cool and refreshing to the touch. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ... Guess that''s a goddess''s assets for you. Anyway, she finally started calming down. "Got her!" She peeled herself away, went around the chair, and stood to the side of the screen, looking at it with sparkles in her eyes. She looked at me and laughed. "Come on, Fainn. What were you doing? I did all the work myself!" "Uhuh," I said with a smile. "Yeah, I''m so sorry." Yeah. A few minutes of her poking fun at me in exchange for paradoxical liquid happiness being delivered to my face through her chest? Worth it. Ten out of ten would subject myself to it again. "That''s a goofy smile, Fainn." She looked at the screen and then at me and made a happy fuss. "Oh! Do you like her? Do you think she''s cute?" She looked at the screen closely. "Eek. We might need to work quickly here. She may not last much longer. It''s kind of strange you find that cute, Fainn." That concerning comment got me looking at the screen quickly. There was a young woman¡ªone frail, malnourished¡ªchained in a dark cell. Her shoulder-length wavy hair was snow-white but filthy. Her ribs were showing, and she barely had rags covering her body. Her arms¡ªfrom her elbow to her fingers¡ªwere pitch black¡ªalmost like she was wearing gloves. Her ears¡ªthey looked like the ears of an elf. There was one more thing. It looked like something was leaking out from where the black of her arm met the gray skin. It looked like smoke, but it was fading in and out¡ªI wasn''t sure what I was looking at. "What the heck? This is a Hero?" "Yes and no," Svilran replied. "But she will certainly be our Hero." I pointed at her. "Okay, you need to explain this to me later. But for now, how do we get this girl out of her predicament?" Svilran lit up. "We''re summoning her!" "Really?" "Yes, yes! Come on, let''s get this show on the road!" Svilran fiddled with the telescope and clapped her hands. "Done! It''s done!" she declared. I looked at the screen and saw the girl''s head fall. Had she just died? I looked to Svilran for answers. "She will be arriving via the portal! Let''s go greet her, Fainn!" She grabbed my arm and urged me to stand up. I did, but I kept looking at the screen as Svilran dragged me out of the building. "Hey, did she die?" "Yeah! In that world!" "Svilran, we have minutes. Explain. She''s the Hero?" "Okay," she sucked in a lot of air, "here''s how this works. We can''t just go plucking people out of their worlds when they''re still living in them peacefully. That''s incredibly rude." "Agreed." "So, we pluck them out when they''re moments from death. Doing this also makes them less likely to feel like they have to return. Incidentally, the same rules applied to you." "Okay. Got it. Why an imprisoned girl, though¡ªI don''t see a Hero there." "Yes... The truth is we can''t pluck out heroes, per se. If someone is already pretty clearly a hero, then it means there''s already a threat that hero is countering. If we plucked them¡ª" "Right, counter-productive since the goal is to stop evil. But what about heroes on their deathbed?" "Yes, we could pluck them if we could find them, but that might not reflect well on us. I didn''t clarify earlier, but making a paradise for heroes to come and visit in between their adventures¡ªthat''s MY dream. That''s not actually what the main goal of this project is. Our main goal is to raise new heroes. Out in the Imaginal Realm, millions of sparks with the potential to be heroic never got the chance. That light remains untapped. Now that we live in an era where evil is surging, those untapped people will be sequestered further. That''s why we have to intervene and give them the chance. The truth is, someone who is already a hero will likely be well treated by the Imaginal Realm''s will. That''s why focusing on people who already unleashed their heroic potential isn''t the best move." I saw the faint hints of sadness in Svilran''s expression and made a note of it to ask her later. The portal was in sight. We were a minute away. "So, this girl has heroic potential?" "Yes! The telescope said so! Oh, Fainn!" Svilran whipped out a brown briefcase from nowhere and opened it up. "You should get changed before we see her! I picked out what I thought you would like." "Oh, gotcha. Okay." I ripped off the old beat-up shirt I was wearing and grabbed the black sweatshirt at the top of the pile. "Where did this stuff even come from?" "It came with the house." "Handy." I put on a long red robe¡ªI felt kind of like a mage. It also came with a hood... Now I really felt like a mage. "Fainn, don''t forget some new pants!" I looked at her, then the portal, then the pants. "Right." I took off my pants while walking and threw on the new pair while Svilran giggled. "You look great, Fainn!" She opened a smaller jewelry box. "Here''s some rings. They don''t do anything, but they''ll make you look powerful." "Yes, thank you!" My mage-cosplay levels were reaching new heights. Was it wrong to wish for a staff? Whatever, I was looking the part now. I kind of hoped the new Hero would have a good impression of me. Monster Girl Archive Entry 001: Witherspell [IMAGE] Witherspells
Classification: Adma Kudai Type
Racial Family: ???
Lifespan: 60 average
A race of Imaginal said to be a poor god''s cheap imitation of elves. The only thing of an elf that could be seen in this Imaginal is their pointed and long ears. Otherwise, this race of Imaginal has more in common with amalgam-type Imaginal. One can tell a Witherspell at a glance by their elf-like ears, their gray-ish skin, and the black glove-like pigmentation on their forearms and hands. Physiology and Unique Traits Witherspells are known to wield particularly nasty mana. That mana allows them to use magic that drains life from anything it touches. Said magic is actually where they got their name from. Unfortunately--or maybe fortunately for everyone else--Witherspells are blessed with the worst mana-reserves of any known Imaginal. These pitiful creatures--perhaps in an ironic twist of fate--almost constantly leak their mana into their surroundings. One would think this would make things worse for the average Witherspell, but no. The amount they have to leak is so pitiful that, at worst, someone who is next to a Witherspell for more than four hours may only experience a stomachache. The above is true for the average Witherspell. Unfortunately, there are Witherspells who aspired to go beyond their limits. Those successful Witherspells may have found ways to increase their mana reserves but did so without fully fixing their leakage problem. Those Witherspells are the ones populations fear. Not only because they actually have the mana to use devastating magic but also because they''re walking garden killers. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. When harvest times come around, one should expect many to be vigilant for wandering Witherspells. Truly, if there were a god that made this race for the sake of rivaling elves, they should be ashamed. Witherspells have another interesting racial trait. Their arms can come off and move around according to the Witherspell''s will. A truly macabre ability that makes Witherspells even more frightful. Some Witherspells are able to further separate their disembodied hand into many segments, though the use for this function has not been well documented. While Witherspells are strongly associated with death due to their mana, they also have an association with life. Interestingly, a Witherspell''s reproductive organs are filled with a mana of an opposite nature to the mana their body radiates. Some theorize this mana is what allows a Witherspell to have descendants. Regardless, the mana has a strong affinity with the light element and is theorized to be suited for healing magic. That said, no Witherspell has ever been recorded to have figured out how to make use of this special mana. Disposition Witherspells tend to be relatively nomadic in realms where they flourish. As their bodies constantly radiate their ill mana, Witherspell tribes can never stay in one place for too long, lest the land they rest on dies. What is truly unfortunate is that Witherspells are not undead. They still need food just like humans and elves do. This life of always seeking fertile lands while being aware that they will kill the fertility they seek by virtue of existing has led to most Witherspells adopting a slightly cynical view of life. An alternate lifestyle path sees Witherspells wandering by themselves or in groups of two or three. These smaller units, while lacking safety in numbers, find it easier to live in certain areas for longer. Witherspells in ?Nochfall Maya? Witherspells are seen as livestock. They exist to constantly radiate their mana for the undead Imaginals of Nochfall Maya to eat. These undead have discovered ways of provoking a Witherspell to release more mana through special torture and substances. The treatment severely weakens the Witherspell and severely impacts their life expectancy, but that''s what the Witherspell farms are for. When a Witherspell dies, it is easily replaced. Episode 002: Finding Our First Hero Part 02 ¡°Svilran, what can you tell me about the girl?¡± ¡°Yes, I got the information from the ¡ª¡° ¡°It has that function?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll show you how to interface with it later. As I was saying, the young lady¡¯s name is Selindried: Elma¡ªno family name. The ¡®Selindried¡¯ refers to who was¡ªumm¡ªdrying(?) her. I¡¯m not sure what that phrase refers to.¡± We came before the portal. It was glowing more than usual, and a small hourglass at the top was releasing sand into the portal. Once all the sand had fallen, Elma would appear. That sand was apparently an essential part of forming a duplicate body. Svilran kept informing me of what she knew. ¡°Elma is what¡¯s called a Witherspell. They¡¯re a type of Imaginal that is able to use magic that essentially makes living things wither. They have terrible mana reserves, so they can¡¯t really use their magic to their full potential, and they have arms that can come off and move by themselves¡ªoh really?¡± It looked like Svilran was reading some of the info for the first time too. ¡°That¡¯s gross... Anyway, the realm Elma came from is called Nochfall Maya. It¡¯s a realm ruled primarily by undead Imaginals, and these Imaginals use Witherspells to... supply them with mana? Oh! Witherspells leak mana into their surroundings.¡± ¡°These things leak mana that makes things wither? Are we going to be okay?¡± ¡°We will. Because they barely have any of that mana in themselves at any one time, what can be leaked is extremely little. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± I breathed in and out a few times and calmed my nerves. I wasn¡¯t used to meeting so many people in a day anymore. Knowing that what we were doing was also really important kind of got to me. ¡°Gotta put my best foot forward...¡± Svilran giggled and made me look at her. ¡°You¡¯ll do great, Fainn... After all, I picked you.¡± She grinned at me and straightened up. ¡°I¡¯ll be right behind you¡ªOh! She¡¯s coming! And don¡¯t worry about language. Everyone speaks the same language when they¡¯re in the Hub. It¡¯s one of the neat features.¡± I rubbed my sweaty palms on my robe. ¡°Alright. Here we go.¡± She appeared, walking out from an outpouring of light. ¡°Huh?¡± she asked. ¡°What? Am I dreaming?¡± Before us was the malnourished Elma, confused and looking around. She was just like how we saw her on the screen. Gray-skinned, with black arms and with dirtied white hair. For the first time, I noticed her legs were red from toe to knee, and she had red veins that went up her thighs... I hoped she wasn¡¯t sick. Her eyes finally settled on us, and she backed away slowly. ¡°Hey,¡± I said, waving gently. ¡°Welcome to the Hero Hub. I¡¯m Fainn, and this is former-goddess-turned-maid-Svilran.¡± I heard Svilran hop¡ªshe must have posed. I also heard a bell? Did she put on a bell at some point? Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Anyway, welcome....¡± I thought about how to greet her and explain things. ¡°You met with a terrible fate¡ª¡° Her eyes went wide, and she paled far more than I thought possible. ¡°But we plucked you out and are here to give you a new lease on life.¡± ¡°P-Pardon me?¡± she fearfully asked. I looked at Svilran. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not good at this. Please take over.¡± ¡°Your wish is my command!¡± One extremely well-guided and kind explanation later¡ª ¡°So...¡± Elma started. ¡°I passed away... But now I¡¯m here... In this world, saved by gods who want to help me become a hero?¡± ¡°Yes, Hero with a capital ¡®H!¡¯ That¡¯s right!¡± Svilran said. ¡°The plan is to let you rest and then send you out to other worlds in need of help! Of course, we won¡¯t send you somewhere out of your league.¡± ¡°I see...¡± I stepped back into the conversation now that everything was communicated. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Elma looked around, then looked me straight in the eyes. I hadn¡¯t noticed before, but her face was a real mess. The pronounced bags under her eyes were hard to look away from, and her eyes looked like they had lost their light. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said. ¡°Hmm,¡± I responded. Well. That was unexpected. Before I said something, Svilran jumped out, full of energy. ¡°That¡¯s okay! You can still rest here! The dormitories are right over there.¡± She pulled a watermelon¡ªone of the ones we collected earlier¡ªfrom thin air and handed it to Elma. Elma received it, but her arms were so feeble she almost dropped it on the spot. I wanted to help her, but it looked like her pride would be hurt if I did. She was really trying to hold it up with her shaking arms. Svilran bowed, ignoring the woman¡¯s strain, and spoke gently. ¡°Please enjoy that complimentary watermelon while you rest.¡± ¡°R-Right... Thank you.¡± She looked at the both of us, locking eyes with me a few times, nodded, and turned away. When Elma was far away enough, I turned to Svilran. ¡°Hey, what the heck, Svilran? What kind of show are we running here?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t all be like you, Fainn. Give her some time. It¡¯s a lot to take in. The poor girl¡¯s just overwhelmed.¡± I looked at Elma again. ¡°So what happens now?¡± ¡°Now,¡± Svilran pranced in front of me, ¡°we go get more watermelons. Maybe Elma will really like our watermelons!¡± We started making our way to the jungle. ¡°You know, I¡¯m okay with eating nothing but watermelons but other people? We don¡¯t even have salt.¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s not much we can do at this stage without Resource Points.¡± ¡°Hey, do you really not know other ways of getting these points? I really feel guilty having nothing but watermelons.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Svilran frowned. ¡°I can tell you for sure now, as I received the concrete knowledge when Elma was summoned. The recommended way of getting points is by having our heroes succeed on their missions.¡± ¡°So, we need to nourish our heroes, but to do so, we need to have our heroes succeed? Otherwise, we have to settle for maybe getting them from the jungle?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it looks like at the moment.¡± ¡°Good god¡ªalright. So, Elma doesn¡¯t want to do it. What happens with her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s entitled to rest, but eventually, she will die again and be sent back to her world¡¯s afterlife. This place is for heroes. She needs to undertake the job or else.¡± ¡°How much time does she have?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. I¡¯m certain she has a day at least, but beyond that...¡± I kissed my teeth. ¡°For the sake of the future heroes, this place needs to be amazing,¡± I said. ¡°But Elma too... I don¡¯t want to force her into anything after what she suffered in her world.¡± ¡°Fainn, just remember,¡± Svilran grinned, ¡°you can speak to her too. And when I say that, I mean really speak to her. She¡¯s not the only one that was in a nightmarish situation.¡± We stopped walking, and she placed her hand on my heart. ¡°I know the images aren¡¯t there anymore, but you still remember how you felt about your memories. You can still speak to her.¡± Svilran took a step back. ¡°Or not! She might pick herself up by tomorrow. Your choice.¡± I looked toward the dormitories. ¡°My choice, huh?¡± Episode 002: Finding Our First Hero Part 03 I ended up sending Svilran to the watermelon jungle and went to the dormitory instead¡ªbest strike while the iron¡¯s hot and all that. I was just going to check on Elma and make sure she was adjusting well to our whole lot of nothing. If she was feeling up to talking¡ªthen great. So, I was in front of her room¡¯s door¡ªI just kind of knew she was in there¡ªand I heard a disturbing sound. ¡°Mmm¡ªurgh¡ªbfft¡ª¡° I knocked on the door clearly. ¡°Elma?!¡± The sounds were giving me bad relapses¡ªI should have gotten rid of the sounds from my memory. ¡°Elma, I¡¯m coming in!¡± Best to ask for forgiveness than permission. The locked door opened for me, and I walked in to see Elma on the floor holding her mouth, the half-eaten melon next to her, and a lot of pink vomit before her knees. ¡°Oh, Elma,¡± I said, overcome with pity. Her eyes went wide as she shook uncontrollably. She looked down at the vomit and then back at me. ¡°Wait, no!¡± she screamed, her voice cracking and her eyes darting all over the place. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to waste your kindness! I¡¯ll clean it up right now!¡± She looked around frantically and pulled the sheet from the bed next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll clean it¡ªahh! No, wait! This is yours¡ªNO! I¡¯m sorry!¡± I was taken aback. This wasn¡¯t the same girl. What had happened? When we saw her earlier, she was cognizant and bold enough to say ¡®no,¡¯ but now... Did she relapse into something? She noticed the rags she was still wearing and quickly ripped them off, exposing her breast to the room. ¡°I¡¯ll clean up¡ª¡° ¡°Stop.¡± I found the bathroom. It was to the left of the doorway. I went in, pulled one of the white towels from the bathroom, went over to where the shaking Elma was, kneeled, and started cleaning up her vomit. I¡¯msorryI¡¯msorry¡ªI¡¯m so sorry¡ªPlease don¡¯t bite me¡ª¡° ¡°Just be quiet.¡± Err¡ªI didn¡¯t realize how bad that sounded until a second later. I really wasn¡¯t good with this type of stuff. ¡°Listen. Just calm down. Take deep breaths and calm down. No one¡¯s going to hurt you.¡± I kept my eyes on the vomit I was wiping up. ¡°Just reclaim yourself.¡± I listened as I heard her ragged breathing slow. A few minutes later, she was calm again¡ªat least¡ªthat was what her breathing indicated. I looked up at her once I had cleaned everything up. ¡°Sorry...¡± she said as she cast her gaze to her knees. She held her left arm up and across her chest, but was still shaking. ¡°Sorry for the mess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. I saw a washing machine downstairs or something like that when I came in... I¡¯ll just ask Svilran to clean up later.¡± She kept looking at her knees. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand... I swear, your fruit was delicious. The most delicious thing I¡¯ve ever tasted. But... it made me ill. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you...¡± ¡°I¡¯m not offended.¡± I looked at the watermelon. She cut it open with a knife that I assume she got from this dormitory and really chowed down. I could see the clear bite marks. ¡°You¡¯re probably not used to eating something like this. How much were you eating before?¡± ¡°Before?¡± She looked at me and shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t eating anything.¡± She calmly pulled her long hair away from her neck and showed them to me¡ªthe many puncture wounds. ¡°The family that kept me would bite me and inject me with nutrients.¡± I was in absolute shock. I asked a dumb question because of how flabbergasted I was. ¡°You weren¡¯t eating?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Shit. Sorry.¡± She looked at me and slowly shook her head. She inhaled sharply and seemed to laugh at herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I¡¯m a sorry waste of space. Here I am, hungry and sitting in my vomit¡±¡ªtears started streaming from her eyes¡ª¡°and I can¡¯t even eat and fill myself. I¡¯m such a wretched thing¡ª¡° ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. She looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡± I grabbed the watermelon. ¡°You know, today was the first day in a long time that I had something that wasn¡¯t rotting.¡± She furrowed her brows. She wanted to hear what I had to say. ¡°But even though that was the case, I only had a single slice.¡± ¡°Why? Aren¡¯t you hungry too?¡± I nodded. ¡°I am. But see, you can¡¯t be too rough on your body. In my case, my stomach probably isn¡¯t used to having so much after so long.¡± I tried to laugh a little. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how it works for you when you actually weren¡¯t eating, period.¡± I looked at the watermelon and then at her. ¡°You have to take it slow. And when I say slow, I mean nibble a little at a time. Go easy on your stomach.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll be able to eat properly?¡± I got up and extended a hand to her. ¡°Come on. You¡¯re a woman some random guy and a former goddess plucked out and said could be a hero. You can definitely enjoy a watermelon soon enough.¡± She smiled and tried to take my hand with her left hand before realizing doing so would leave her chest exposed. She chuckled nervously and took my hand with her right. I helped her up and pointed her gaze to the washroom. ¡°You can clean up in there. Just turn the faucet. We probably have cold and hot water... Maybe. Anyway, you wash up, and I¡¯ll go take this towel downstairs.¡± She nodded and smiled, showing her crooked teeth as she did. ¡°Thank you.¡± *** I went and put the towel in the washing machine. After that, I went outside of the dormitory. The good thing about living on such a small plot of land was that everything was so close. I yelled at the top of my lungs and alerted Svilran to the laundry that needed to be done. She yelled back that she heard. It was a humorous interaction. It was strange to be telling a former goddess to do these kinds of tasks, but it didn¡¯t seem like she minded so far... Anyway, I had returned to Elma¡¯s room and was sitting outside her washroom¡¯s door. ¡°This water... Never did I think I could enjoy such luxury.¡± She giggled. ¡°Never did I think the word ¡®luxury¡¯ would leave my lips.¡± ¡°Yeah. It can be a bit of an adjustment... Though, I haven¡¯t really adjusted myself, either.¡± Elma was soaking in her bathtub. I had come in when she was being overwhelmed by the luxury. After that, we just started trying to talk. I also got to take a real good look at the room. It was nicely furnished with a bed, nightstand, dresser, and a desk stocked with stationery and other useful items. There was also a small closet. Honestly, the luxury was appreciated. I didn¡¯t feel bad about making Heroes have to stay here. Heck, this was a step up from my childhood home. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe all of this...¡± I heard her say. ¡°Say, can I ask something, Elma? It might be upsetting.¡± ¡°Sure... I would like to ask you something in exchange afterward.¡± ¡°Are you okay? Earlier¡ªyou just seemed so different... The woman who said ¡®no¡¯ to us gave off a different vibe.¡± I knew we were broaching a tough topic, but I needed to make sure she was okay. In my memories of my time on Earth, I had the fact of witnessing someone go through extreme mood shifts before ultimately getting themselves killed. I didn¡¯t have the imagery anymore, but the fact was there, and it scared me. ¡°I...¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m as astounded by it as you are... When I spoke with Madam Goddess¡ªit was strange. I felt stronger. I felt like I could really listen and actually understand. My mind was so clear. You know... my life was miserable. My father was a stud, and my mother was breeding stock.¡± Holy shit¡ªwhat the hell? What was I even hearing? I didn¡¯t think I would be hearing this. ¡°I lived my whole life in that dungeon. Every day, though, I always heard a little voice in my head... It kept me awake. I learned language from my masters... though I find it easier to speak here. I learned how to tell time by looking at the shadows that came from the tiniest grate at the edge of the wall. I learned mathematics too... That little voice was in my head, but it never came out with my masters. When I spoke to the Madam Goddess, it felt like she let that voice out.¡± ¡°Wow...¡± ¡°The further I got from her, however, the more that voice receded. When I got into this building, I was scared, and I ran to my room. It was strange... And then, well, here we are... Did you not experience the shift with her?¡± ¡°Maybe...¡± I thought back to when Svilran and I first met. It was a little hazy, even though it only happened a few hours ago. Or did it? I felt like she was talking to me for hours. ¡°Huh, maybe she did have an effect on me... Hey, how did you know where to go?¡± ¡°When I came in, lights were pointing me in the right direction.¡± ¡°Wow. We barely have anything, so I kind of forget, but yeah, we actually have some magical stuff here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Truly.¡± ¡°I think I need to ask Svilran exactly what we have here... Where does the waste go, even?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but given who you two are, this seems correct... I still can¡¯t believe gods saved me.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a god,¡± I said with a chuckle. I heard her get up from the tub. ¡°Elma?¡± She opened the door, and I almost fell backward. ¡°Whoa, warn a guy¡ªoh, uhh¡ª¡°
She came out wearing nothing but a towel and went over to her bed, where she took a seat. It was a little disorienting how she didn¡¯t seem to react¡ªthen again, she was probably used to wearing less. ¡°I want to ask you about your eating rotting food... Are you like me? Were you saved too?¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°I was. Saved I mean. I wasn¡¯t imprisoned or anything like that. My world just blew up. Before it did, I knew I was going for days and days without speaking to anyone or eating anything.¡± I got up and dusted myself off. ¡°That¡¯s what Svilran saved me from.¡± ¡°We¡¯re both blessed then...¡± Elma whispered. I nodded and held the thought for a little before letting out a breath. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to know you¡¯re okay. We¡¯ll bring you another watermelon. Just remember not to eat it too quickly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She wore a feeble smile. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to resist the temptation.¡± Episode 002: Finding Our First Hero Part 04 I went downstairs and was immediately greeted by the chipper, former goddess. ¡°Fainn! I put the dirty towel in the wash!¡± ¡°Oh, Svilran.¡± I looked at the eternally smiling woman. ¡°Thanks for doing that. You didn¡¯t mind, did you?¡± We both went out the door and started walking toward our home. ¡°Of course not.¡± She showed me her arm and flexed her muscle a little. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you and the heroes.¡± ¡°If you ever get tired, let me know.¡± ¡°Of course, but you should do the same... Is she okay?¡± A smile snuck up on me, and I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, she seems like she¡¯ll be fine. She might have only gotten sick because she ate the watermelon too quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°Svilran, actually, I have a ton of questions about the facilities here.¡± ¡°And I will try to answer. Now that the structures have settled, I have an awareness of them and can probably answer some basic questions.¡± ¡°Okay, the most basic question is, how fleshed out are these buildings? The surprised me with the running water, electricity, and washing machine. I really wasn¡¯t expecting it.¡± Svilran giggled. ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be a very good dormitory if it didn¡¯t provide basic comfort. Oh!¡± She held up a finger. ¡°But there is not really electricity. Everything is powered by raw aether, and that aether is processed as by the land we¡¯re standing on.¡± ¡°So the buildings are drawing the aether up from the ground like how a plant draws up nutrients?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°And the being fleshed out is to be expected?¡± ¡°Of course. Consider the . You didn¡¯t really question that we have such an amazing telescope, did you?¡± ¡°No... I didn¡¯t... It just seemed more expected. I guess the luxury and convenience really caught me off guard.¡± ¡°Wait until you see your ! It¡¯s very comfortable.¡± I lit up. ¡°Really?¡± The idea that I would have a home hadn¡¯t really sunk in just yet. ¡°Is it as impressive as the ?¡± Svilran puffed out her chest and smugly chuckled. ¡°I certainly think so. It has two washrooms, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a study and so on. It has everything a young man would need. Fully furnished, of course.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± I said, my mouth hanging a little. ¡°To go from sleeping under debris to having a house... Awesome! I can¡¯t believe the buildings are so fleshed-out!¡± ¡°The buildings are usually like that. They come fully equipped with everything that would agree with the concept of the building, which is good for us since it helps us achieve the goal of being a place to rest for the heroes.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Do we have to worry about maintenance?¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± Svilran closed her eyes as she thought about the question. ¡°Maybe? It depends on if a building is drawing more aether than the land has. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, though, unless we specifically add a ton of furniture and appliances to any one structure.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°We can make appliances?¡± ¡°I think so. I know we can build a and , among other things. So, there are clearly ways of getting appliances made.¡± ¡°Oh wow. We¡¯ll find out more once we actually construct those buildings, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm... Wait, before I forget. What do we do about bathroom waste?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! Those that still need to use the washroom to relieve themselves need not worry about the ugly details! All the waste goes into the land beneath our feet where it is broken back down into aether.¡± ¡°Wow. Nice anti-frustration feature.¡± Svilran wiggled up closer to me. ¡°By the way, you and I no longer need to use the washroom when nature calls.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Svilran laughed triumphantly. ¡°Yup! I had that modification added. It wouldn¡¯t do for a god to be removed from his important matters because of a poor meal. Our digestion has been made very efficient, and the food our land produces is more aether-based and easier for our bodies to break down perfectly. In truth, the food is more for the other visitors and for us to enjoy the process of eating.¡± ¡°Hold on. God? I¡¯m a god?¡± Svilran looked at me quizzically. ¡°Yes? You¡¯re the god of this Hero Hub.¡± She bobbed her head. ¡°Well, I suppose you and I, as a unit, constitute a god. Anyway, don¡¯t get too hung up on it. Relative to the heroes who visit, we are gods. This realm bends to our will after all.¡± I remembered how Elma¡¯s door unlocked itself for me. That was definitely a bending-to-my-will moment. ¡°So... as a god, could I just stop eating and drinking water altogether?¡± ¡°Hmm. No. Taking in substances for nourishment is a vital part of existence. We haven¡¯t done away with that completely. You could probably forgo the food, but you would certainly need water. The idea is you need to consistently sustain yourself with a form of aether your body can process. The water here is the most efficient and effective vehicle for absorbing aether. All that really changes is the need for a toilet.¡± ¡°Well. Good enough!¡± ¡°Ahh! I should mention that there might be value to us enjoying food and trying to earn more varieties. There might be special elements we can unlock that we can then use in service of the heroes.¡± ¡°How game-like...¡± Svilran chuckled nervously. ¡°Yeah... The entity ahead of me sure enjoys keeping me in the dark...¡± She picked herself back on the flip of a dime and puffed out her chest. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll unlock those things as we go! We can do it, Fainn!¡± ¡°Aaaand we¡¯re home,¡± I said. ¡°Are you excited?¡± I looked at the house. It looked like a picturesque wood-and-brick cottage--the kind you would see in an oil painting. ¡°Let¡¯s check it out.¡± ¡°Yay! I already put a bunch of watermelons inside!¡± The house was comfortable and warm. It was the kind of home one could see some kid barrel into while his mom was cooking stew. Maybe there would be a warm beam of light trickling in through the window and a nice earthy smell... I started feeling a little sad. Anyway, the home was fairly modern with the rustic sheen over it. The main room had the kitchen directly across from the entry door. That kitchen had simple appliances and kitchenware hanging on the walls. There was a small table that could seat six to eight. The door to the washroom was off to the side and near the doors to the two bedrooms. The door to the study was across the room from the ones to the bedrooms. ¡°Actually, Svilran, where are you sleeping?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be staying in this house too! I¡¯ll be taking a room.¡± She smiled and bowed. ¡°So long as that pleases you, My Lord.¡± She lifted her head and showed me a wide grin. I flicked her nose in response. ¡°Fainn?!¡± ¡°Come on, stop that. And of course, I¡¯m okay with that.¡± ¡°Great! I don¡¯t know what I would do if you said I couldn¡¯t stay.¡± She happily pranced over to the door--we hadn¡¯t even been in the house for twenty minutes yet. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± ¡°The ! We need to find a suitable world for Elma to visit in the event that she takes up the heroic calling.¡± She shook her hands frantically. ¡°But you can rest, Fainn! It has been a long day!¡± I looked around, then back at Svilran. ¡°Nah. I¡¯ll come with you.¡± I walked up to the door. ¡°I need to do my best for these Heroes too. I can¡¯t just let you take everything on by yourself.¡± She lit up. ¡°Great! We¡¯re going to do great, Fainn!¡± Episode 002 Extra Part – Rules For Sending Heroes To Other Worlds These are guidelines for dispatching Heroes from Hub Worlds.
  1. There are two recommended types of send-offs--a direct teleportation and a reincarnation. A third method is a transmigration, though it is heavily discouraged due to the high likelihood of the Hero experiencing an identity crisis or amnesia. Transmigrations can only be used by those who have proven themselves to have strong minds or wills.
  2. Once in the other world, the Hero cannot return to the Hub World until the Hero in question has accomplished their Heroic Mission.
  3. Upon completion of their Heroic Mission, the Hero can choose whether or not they would like to return to the Hub World. Note: This does not apply to Heroic Missions labeled ¡®Auxiliary.¡¯
  4. If a Hero neglects their duty, they may not be retrieved and can never again be recruited by their Hub World.
  5. Heroes may keep in Skills or Abilities they nurture during their mission but cannot keep any World-Dependant Skills or Abilities. Said category will be locked and be made inactive unless the Hero returns to a compatible world.
  6. Heroes may not keep any items heavily entangled with the world they visited. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Guidelines for Direct Teleportations
  1. The Hero must have a body composition compatible with the world they will be visiting. If said Hero is undertaking an Auxiliary Heroic Mission, they may be required to have a composition compatible with the region they will be operating from.
  2. The Hero must be deposited in a blind-spot. A ¡®blind-spot¡¯ is any spot where no sentient being can notice the Hero.
  3. The Hero may carry any blessings or curses from the Hub World.
  4. The Hero cannot and will not be allowed to divulge information about their Hub World.
  5. It is recommended that Heroes be briefed about the world they will be visiting.
Guidelines for Reincarnations
  1. Heroes can only be reincarnated into worlds that allow for reincarnation to occur.
  2. A Hub World must also have permission to reincarnate its heroes.
  3. It is recommended to reincarnate heroes who have extremely developed minds. Failure to do so may lead Heroes to forgetting who they are.
  4. Where the Hero can be reincarnated, and the method by which they can be reincarnated will be determined by the Hero¡¯s own Merit. The Hub World can not modify the Hero¡¯s Merit. It is recommended to only reincarnate heroes with high Merit in order to ensure the smoothest reincarnation.
  5. There are no Auxiliary Heroic Missions that require reincarnation.
  6. Upon completion, should the Hero decide to return to the Hub World, they can choose whether or not to keep their reincarnated form.
  7. Should the Hero have enough Merit and should the Hub World have the appropriate facility, they may also make a ¡®backup¡¯ of the reincarnated body for later use.
Episode 002: Finding Our First Hero Part 05
We were standing in front of the blue, swirling . It was a new day, and we were rested. The bed was heavenly for anyone wondering. Svilran herself overslept. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s coming, Fainn? I let her know we would be out here...¡± ¡°Well... It¡¯s her life.¡± We had a late night looking for worlds to send Elma to. We found nine worlds that would work and discovered the Mission Interface. While we were doing that, Svilran was notified that Elma could only stay undecided for a day. She would not be allowed to stay in the Hero Hub if she wasn¡¯t a Hero or trying to be one. Svilran did notice that there seemed to be other avenues that would allow her to stay, but we, as a Hub, hadn¡¯t done enough yet to unlock that information. Anyway, all it meant was that we needed to hear Elma¡¯s choice. If she chose not to be a Hero, then we would have to release her back into her world and let that world¡¯s afterlife decide what it wanted to do with her soul. ¡°There she is, Fainn. She¡¯s coming our way.¡± We watched as she left her dormitory and crossed the dusty land. It looked like the provided her with some simple clothes. She had come out wearing a long-sleeved, black sweatshirt, brown leather pants, and a similar leather jacket. She also had a small and cute satchel. She sort of looked like an adventurer in a fantasy story, but she wasn¡¯t as blinged out as I was... That said, she looked beautiful. I could see it already in the way she carried herself. She seemed stronger... I really hoped that wasn¡¯t due to Svilran¡¯s effect. I wanted it to be her own inner strength. I found myself wanting to look into Elma¡¯s eyes. Would there be fear in them, or would she have reclaimed herself? ¡°Come on, Elma,¡± I muttered. I didn¡¯t care if Elma was going to say no. I just wanted to know whether she found something¡ªanything that would keep her from regressing. Finally, Elma, the Witherspell, stood before us. ¡°I made my choice, but I want to ask something before that. May I?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t see why not.¡± ¡°IF I say yes, will I be allowed to return to my original world?¡± I looked at Svilran for answers, and she scrunched her face as she thought. ¡°Well, two things. Normally, you would not be allowed. But, if you go and accumulate something called Heroic Merit, you can use that Merit to buy your way back into that world. The other problem, however, is that you would NEED to reincarnate into the world since ¡®Elma¡¯ already died there. We need to maintain that consistency.¡± Svilran took a labored breath. ¡°Of course, you can always ¡®return¡¯ in the sense that you can just go to your world¡¯s afterlife.¡± Elma, her forehead creased, looked toward her feet. She seemed to be contemplating something. ¡°Elma, if I may, why did you want to know?¡± I asked. She looked up at me, and I was almost blown away. Her eyes¡ªthey had a fire in them. Her subsequent words didn¡¯t betray that gaze. ¡°I want to save the Witherspells of my world. I want the days of Witherspells being used as fields to pluck magic from to be over.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Svilran said as she covered her mouth. ¡°What a Hero.¡± Knowing that Svilran was similarly impressed bolstered my own feelings. ¡°Yeah... Then that means...¡± I trailed off, hoping we would get the answer we wanted. ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Elma said. ¡°I want to be a Hero.¡± She nodded at us many times. ¡°So, what do I need to do?¡± Svilran jumped on the spot and released tiny stars from her hand. Each bright star became a giant screen the three of us could look at. ¡°Elma,¡± I said, ¡°all you need to do is take on one of these Missions. Right now, we have nine missions you could take. Each mission is something called an ¡®Auxiliary Heroic Mission.¡¯ Essentially, these missions don¡¯t require you to be the world¡¯s hero, but rather, they require you to support a fledgling hero already on their way.¡± Svilran stepped in and took over the conversation cheerfully. ¡°Our Hero Hub¡¯s principal role is to nurture heroes who never got the chance to live up to our potential. A secondary role of ours entails supporting the ones reaching their potential. I personally want to do way more for all heroes, but this is one way we can help them with our current power. You will be sent to one of these worlds, you will accomplish your mission, you will gain Heroic Merit, and you¡¯ll be able to unlock your potential through your experiences! A life of service paves the way to a life of strength!¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Svilran was all smiles, but Elma¡¯s expression showed caution. It seemed she was taking her time to absorb every detail. I was a bit impressed. She had mentioned things that indicated she had a sharp mind, but actually seeing it here, unbound, was inspiring. ¡°Will I be able to return to this world?¡± she asked, sounding a bit concerned. ¡°Yes. After ¡®Auxiliary¡¯ missions, you will be taken back.¡± Elma let out a tiny sigh¡ªI was sure it was one of relief. ¡°Understood.¡± She cast her gaze to the screens. ¡°Then... these missions...¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be able to read them,¡± I said. ¡°The info just gets beamed into your head as your eyes go over them.¡± ¡°Yes... it¡¯s a bit disorienting,¡± Elma admitted. ¡°Our is able to give us a little info about the worlds in need of help,¡± Svilran continued. ¡°We got just enough to ensure your body is compatible with said world. It took hours and hours of searching, but we found nine. These are worlds where your skin color and ears wouldn¡¯t be strange.¡± ¡°Do these worlds also have Witherspells?¡± Elma asked. ¡°Our can¡¯t provide us with detailed racial demographics. We can only get racial information when there¡¯s a prospective hero we have our eye on.¡± ¡°I see...¡± She scanned the screens, and slowly, her expression darkened and darkened. ¡°Hero needs someone to craft a magical item,¡± she said. That was one of the missions. ¡°Hero in need of a magic caster for a tournament of magic. Hero needs help with taming a monster. Hero needs help with slaying a monster.¡± She was just listing them off¡ªfrom the sounds of it, she was highlighting the ones she didn¡¯t think she could do. ¡°I can¡¯t do these. I may have some mana, but I can¡¯t use magic, and I¡¯m too weak... Hero is the target of an assassination plot ... Hero is in need of a dungeon-exploration party... These two I feel I could do something about.¡± I looked at Svilran. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t we bless her with powers or something?¡± She shook her head. ¡°We don¡¯t have the facilities to do that, unfortunately.¡± ¡°And we won¡¯t have the facilities until we get back some Building Points...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Elma said. ¡°I am interested in thwarting the assassination attempt, but I know that is a little out of my league at the moment. That dungeon-exploration,¡± she tapped the screen and investigated the listing further. ¡°They¡¯re treasure-hunting...¡± She raised her arm and disconnected her hand from the rest of her arm. ¡°I think I could offer some utility to them.¡± ¡°Do be careful, though,¡± Svilran said. ¡°We know your appearance is compatible, but we don¡¯t know how accepting of your ability they would be. Consider wearing robes that obscure your arms.¡± Svilran, with a flourish of the hands, produced a cute cloak. ¡°The world has magic, so you can say your hand is a magical effect.¡± ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Madam Goddess. This one, though¡ªI want to do this one. Will I be able to take on the assassination-thwarting mission afterward?¡± ¡°The flow of time in each world is slightly different when we aren¡¯t observing them,¡± Svilran said. ¡°What I mean to say is that the mission might still be available when you return.¡± ¡°Understood. Then, I¡¯ll try to complete the dungeon treasure hunt quickly,¡± Elma said, still determined. Svilran squealed with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s great! We¡¯re rooting for you! The destination is set. Walk through that , and you¡¯ll be in the vicinity of the mission site! You will have access to the Mission Interface we do.¡± ¡°Will we be able to stay in contact?¡± Svilran shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, we lack the means. You will be on your own and cannot return until you succeed or fail.¡± ¡°Understood. And if I succeed, you two will be able to improve this world?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Elma looked at me and smiled. ¡°Then I won¡¯t fail. This place needs to be a place for the weary braves to rest. It needs to be the best it can be.¡± I noticed Elma¡¯s clenched fists were trembling, and I smiled inwardly. I was kind of swept away by how impressive she was, but she was probably nervous too... ¡°Hey,¡± I said, ¡°you can do this. I believe in you.¡± I glanced at Svilran. ¡°We both do. You¡¯ve got the heart¡ª¡° ¡°And you¡¯re so smart, too! Make sure you grow as much as you can! And oh, take some treasure too! Take as much as you can! You might be able to bring some back with you.¡± Elma giggled and tucked her hair behind her ear. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do my best... Oh, last thing. What happens if I die over there?¡± I immediately looked at Svilran. I had completely overlooked that fact. Svilran¡ªgiven how profusely she was sweating¡ªmust have forgotten too. She stammered. ¡°Umm, I¡ªhmm...¡± Finally, she lit up and raised a finger. ¡°Most times, you¡¯ll just return here, but you¡¯ll lose the body you¡¯ve nurtured, and we¡¯ll have to reconstruct you according to the body we have saved.¡± ¡°Holy moly. That¡¯s a whole lot at once,¡± I said, running my hand through my hair. ¡°Can we update the saved body or whatever?¡± ¡°Not until we have the appropriate facility.¡± ¡°And did you say, ¡®in most cases?¡¯ When does it not work?¡± Svilran frowned with tears in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet, Fainn,¡± she whimpered. ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility.¡± ¡°Please calm down you to two.¡± We both looked to the now calm and strong Elma. ¡°It¡¯s fine because I won¡¯t die. I won¡¯t waste this miracle you¡¯ve afforded me.¡± ¡°Elmaaa,¡± Svilran cried. She rushed up to Elma and hugged her tightly. ¡°You¡¯re the best first Hero anyone could have asked for! I believe in you!¡± ¡°Still,¡± I said, ¡°exercise caution.¡± She smirked. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Svilran came and stood beside me while Elma turned toward the portal. She glanced over her shoulder. ¡°By the way, Fainn.¡± She opened her small satchel, pulled out something wrapped in a cloth, and then unwrapped the cloth to show a watermelon rind. She smiled from ear to ear. ¡°Make sure to have some watermelons for me when I get back. I want to nibble on them some more.¡± ¡°Heh, well, look at that.¡± I showed her a thumbs-up. ¡°We¡¯ve got all the watermelon you could ever want.¡± [Reference] Current Build List
Here''s the basics of Buildings! Every Building has a Rank. The Rank determines the costs for both building and upgrading. The Ranks and their corresponding Build Costs are as follows: Basic: 50; Rare:100; Super Rare: 200; Ultra Rare: 400; Mythic Rare: 800; Lucky God: 777 This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Below is the list we currently have available to us!
Basic Structures Dormitory Observatory Home Portal Wishing Well Lumber Mill Rare Structures Mess Hall Infirmary Status Shrine [author] Okay, got delayed trying to figure out how to present this. I got annoyed and just went for the simplified version. Anyway, this list might be updated if I realize I forgot something. Chapter coming up next.[/author] Episode 003: Waiting For Our First Completion Part 01[IMAGE] In the ¡ª ¡°Okay, so we can watch over her from here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The telescope¡¯s screen can track one dispatched hero at a time. If we want to track others, we have to manually adjust the telescope each time...¡± Svilran shuddered. ¡°Considering how many hours it took us to find nine worlds...¡± ¡°Yeah... We¡¯ll have to hope we can track more simultaneously in the future.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve locked it on to Elma. Oh, look, look! She landed in a forest!¡± Svilran pulled out papers and examined them. ¡°Papers instead of menus?¡± Svilran shrugged and smiled. ¡°I like the feel of paper. Anyway! The premise is that there is a newly discovered dungeon, and the locals are doing a ¡®Treasure Rush Festival.¡¯¡° ¡°Do we have information on what the festival entails?¡± ¡°Not really. What we know is that the fledgling hero will be attending. There seem to be certain treasures in this dungeon that could really help the hero jump-start his potential. If he finds any of them, his prospects will greatly improve.¡± ¡°How do we know that? The future¡¯s not decided, right?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. As for how we know, worlds have the ability to calculate potential futures. In the case of the worlds we help, there¡¯s a system in place that activates when we gaze at them, and it tells us this kind of information. The worlds can also calculate the failure potential of a Hero, which is what causes them to ask for help, so to say.¡± Huh. Something was nagging at me. ¡°Do the Imaginal Gods¡ªspecifically the gods of the world, not the Imaginal Will¡ªknow we¡¯re accessing this information?¡± Svilran chuckled nervously. ¡°They might not... For a lot of them, we¡¯re sort of like an outside party acting under the radar. It¡¯s hard to say how aware the Imaginal Will are too...¡± ¡°Hmm...¡± I leaned back in my seat as I wondered. ¡°Fainn?¡± ¡°Hey, your superior. He¡¯s not just a superior, right? I mean, he¡¯s like a super superior. The one you work for is really high up there in the hierarchy... Am I right? He has to be that great to be able to act under the radar.¡± Svilran sighed. ¡°My superior is. You have no idea, actually.¡± ¡°But he can¡¯t interfere and save these worlds himself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated because of all the Divine Laws in place. You should think of it more as we are my superior¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Okay... I¡¯m starting to understand this better... That¡¯s why we have to unlock things... We have to prove to your superior we¡¯re worthy of being able to ¡®act as his hands.¡¯ It¡¯s like when a leader needs to have trusted followers that can carry out tasks without bringing shame to the organization.¡± ¡°Maybe...¡± Svilran muttered. She looked scared. I bet she was under some kind of vow of secrecy. Understanding this superior¡ªhe probably locked things behind some milestones I had to reach. A Leader wouldn¡¯t want to just divulge organization secrets to some random neophyte some recruiter pixie brought in. But that made me think of something else... To be in a position where information was given so strangely... Preventing us from knowing what we could get in the future... To be playing that kind of game when evil was apparently surging... ¡°Hey, Svilran, you said we¡¯re your superior¡¯s hands?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hmm. I know of many gods with many arms.¡± I smiled at Svilran, and she started sweating. Her eyes were the widest I had ever seen them. She was stammering too, but I cut her off while looking at the screen. ¡°I wonder if your superior is like that.¡± I laughed to help soothe her nerves. ¡°Ahh, he¡¯s probably way more than I can imagine. I¡¯d probably get a migraine trying to look at him.¡± I glanced at her. ¡°He¡¯s probably that unfathomable, right?¡± Svilran looked at me, slack-jawed, but then took a breath and smiled. ¡°I would say divinely majestic myself!¡± ¡°Noted.¡± We went back to watching Elma make her way through a forest. ¡°Hmm. I wonder if she has any tracking skills. She was in a dungeon her whole life, so maybe she¡¯s not good at traveling through woods.¡± ¡°Hmm, maybe. There¡¯s a facility that will let us see a person¡¯s skills and proficiencies and the like. It¡¯s expensive, though.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it called?¡± ¡°The .¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Huh... Another game-like element...¡± I muttered. ¡°What would you say the benefit to that is?¡± ¡°The most obvious thing I can think of is that it would let us discover proficiencies and skills the Hero themselves may not be aware of.¡± That got me by surprise. ¡°And here I was thinking it would just allow us to dispatch the right Heroes more easily.¡± I grinned at Svilran. ¡°Good point. I had my reservations about you after that prank, but you¡¯re a good partner. I¡¯ll need to step up.¡± Svilran giggled as she wiggled her hips. ¡°Oh, come on, you don¡¯t mean that. You¡¯re just buttering me up.¡± This girl¡¯s here talking about me buttering her up when she¡¯s the one softening my heart¡ªahh¡ªI felt incredibly happy for a moment. That happiness came out in the form of a chuckle¡ªone that made Svilran pester me. ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± she playfully asked. ¡°No reason... Anyway, how many more heroes can we raise at any given time?¡± Svilran got serious and gave me a straight answer. ¡°It¡¯s based on how many livable buildings we have. So the has three floors with four rooms on each. This means we can hold twelve permanent heroes currently. There¡¯s no cheating allowed. If we bring a thirteenth hero, we can¡¯t just make them share a room with another. The building itself is what opens the slot, not the rational logic.¡± ¡°I see... So the ¡®space¡¯ itself is just a superfluous factor, like the washing machine. The valuable factor is the slot it opens... I get it. The ¡®space to house more than twelve¡¯ is there because that amount of space is what corresponds with the concept of a dormitory.¡± ¡°Wow, you pick up fast.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to listen to you as much as I can.¡± I leaned forward and looked into the eyepiece. ¡°So, should we look for another Hero?¡± ¡°Actually, Fainn, I need to inform you of something.¡± I didn¡¯t pull my face from the piece. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯re points associated with summoning, and we¡¯ve run out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± ¡°Do we get those points when Elma succeeds?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the only method available to us now, I think.¡± ¡°Damn. So many points to collect... Fine. It¡¯s still valuable to look around, though, right?¡± I adjusted the many knobs along the telescope and its control panel. It looked like I landed on some lava world. ¡°Dang it, this thing is tough to drive.¡± I hit the button that would scan this world for any missions¡ªif I was going to be wandering around, I needed to make it worth our time. ¡°No missions on this one... Would be nice if we had a hero search feature.¡± ¡°But, a prospective hero wouldn¡¯t be identified when they are unrecruitable, and given that we can¡¯t really recruit someone until they are moments from dying...¡± ¡°Even if we found them, they might not last long enough for us to pull them later. How frustrating.¡± Something occurred to me, and I jumped out of my seat. ¡°Fainn?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try something.¡± A few minutes later and I was standing in front of the with a bunch of watermelons under my arms. Svilran had followed me out and was looking at me apprehensively. ¡°You¡¯re going to make a wish, Fainn?¡± I smirked at her. ¡°Yup. We don¡¯t have time for this. So, time to make some wishes and pay-to-win.¡± I looked at the watermelons. ¡°Or something. It¡¯s a term from some exploitative games. Look, we need to get lucky.¡± I tossed the watermelons in, watched as they sank into the bottom like it was mud, and made my wish. Svilran shuddered. ¡°I think we already got plenty lucky yesterday, though...¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong in trying again, right?¡± She timidly shrugged. ¡°I guess not, but... We might also be struck by some misfortune. The entities we¡¯re petitioning can be fickle...¡± Suddenly the ground below us started shaking, and Svilran screamed. She ran into my arms and hugged me tightly. ¡°Faaaiiiin! I don¡¯t remember if I told you, but we have to be careful with the Imaginal Will! They don¡¯t understand Order and can most certainly wipe out our Hub without meaning to! Even my superior won¡¯t step in to save us if we tempt fate!¡± I looked at the starry sky. A bright, purple light was coming. I put my arm around Svilran and held her tightly. ¡°Brace yourself.¡± The light made an impact about a hundred feet from where we stood, raising dust and shaking the earth in the process. A dimmer light twinkled from within the smoke, and a figure gradually became visible. ¡°Well, look at that,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s not so bad after all. Hmm? Is that a nun?¡± The dust was settling, and the womanly figure was clear. She was wearing a nun¡¯s habit and was dressed head to toe in black. She was gray-skinned, and the most striking thing about her was the old-fashioned lantern hanging on a stick behind her¡ªwas the stick part of her? ¡°F-F-F-Faaaiiin,¡± Svilran whimpered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a nun¡ªshe doesn¡¯t have a mouth!¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so... ridiculous...¡± I looked closer¡ªthere was definitely no mouth. She suddenly opened her eyes¡ª ¡°AHH! FAAAIIIN!¡± ¡°Holy crap-ton¡ª¡° Many black tentacles burst out from her bleeding eyes, and the skin covering where her mouth would be, tore apart slightly so that her blood-curdling scream could torture our ears. Svilran screamed as we both covered our ears. The bottom of her habit squirmed, and the lantern started emitting an ominous black glow. Massive black tentacles covered in greenish bulbs on tiny stems surged out from the bottom of her habit like they were raging waves. One of the tentacles lashed out at us, and I immediately dashed behind the , having caught something out of the corner of my eye. ¡°Fainn!¡± Svilran cried as the tentacle crashed against the barrier. That barrier repelled the tentacle and earned us a few moments. ¡°Svilran, you can¡¯t do anything about that nun, can you?¡± She was absolutely terrified. ¡°I¡¯m not a Battle God, Fainn,¡± she cried, snot and tears streaming. ¡°I¡¯m just a facilitator.¡± I held her closer and tried to calm her down. ¡°Hey, listen, the ¡ªwill anything bad happen if you jump into it?¡± ¡°Huh? No.¡± I picked her up and threw her into the fountain. Another tentacle struck the fountain¡¯s barrier, causing a thunderous boom that drowned out her cries. ¡°Nice. The structures of the Hub World are stronger than this nun.¡± The barrier seemed to completely encircle the fountain. As long as she was within the barrier, she would be fine in the event that things went badly for me. I stepped out from behind the fountain and locked eyes with the wailing nun. ¡°Fainn! What are you doing?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll use the thing that made you pick me at the start of all this!¡± ¡°Huh? Wait, what¡ªhow does that help¡ª¡° ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll figure this out. It might take a while, but I¡¯ll get there.¡± I held out my hand and pressed my fingers together, ready to snap. ¡°The thing that let me survive that apocalyptic hellscape¡ª +Nightmares ARE Fiction+.¡± I snapped my fingers and trapped the nun and myself in a small black dome. Episode 003: Waiting For Our First Completion Part 02- Nightmares We were in my black dome. The nun was still screaming, and the tentacles she produced¡ªI think thirty-two of them¡ªwere still thrashing about. The tentacles weren¡¯t actually originating from her feet. It looked like they were springing out ten feet away from the woman. One lashed out toward me like a whip. ¡°Oh, here we go.¡± I braced for impact. The tentacle grew three sizes right before striking me, and I shuddered. ¡°MMMGRH¡ª¡° It slammed me to the side and into the wall of my dome. I hit that wall with my back, and white cracks propagated from the point of impact. Blood trickled out of my mouth, and it felt like I was drowning. My ribs on my right side¡ªthey were definitely broken. Could I even stand? My hip was pulverized, and I couldn¡¯t feel my right leg too. ¡°Of course I can,¡± I whispered to myself. I planted my right hand on the dirt and poured all my strength into it until I was able to lift myself up. The nun was still screaming. She didn¡¯t notice I was on my feet yet, so that was nice. ¡°I need to make contact with you.¡± I started limping toward her. A few seconds later, my body realigned itself enough for me to start sprinting toward her. There was a gap between tentacles¡ªthat was the one I would jump through. Another tentacle came from my side. I ducked and slid for a few moments before hopping back onto my feet. ¡°I can do this!¡± The gap was right there¡ªI just needed to get in! I leaped, and I was sure I made it¡ªmy head and shoulders had successfully crossed, but then, suddenly, I felt an incredible pressure on both sides of my abdomen. Blood surged out from my mouth as I lost feeling in my legs. I looked down the extent of my body and saw that the two tentacles had clamped on my body like a pair of sliding doors. I put my hands on the tentacles to try to push myself through¡ª ¡°Huh? What the¡ªthe tentacles are actually her?¡± Confused by the feedback, I was caught by surprise when I fell to the ground. It felt like everything was pouring out of me now. My upper body was on fire too¡ªI wanted to rip my skin off and pour ice on my chest. I realized it. It was clear¡ªshe had bisected me. I was half a body lying on the black substance that had spread out from her feet. But, here, in this pitiful state, my mind was fixed on something else. I planted my hand on the black. ¡°This is you too,¡± I whispered as I glared at the crying woman. ¡°Ahh¡ªBeautiful.¡± I was enamored for a slight moment with the vision of the true person before me and shook my head. ¡°Come on, not the time, idiot.¡± I looked at her again. I could see it. She was hurt. Patches of her outfit seemed to be soaked, and the lantern hanging about her head was flickering. Above all else, I knew she was afraid. I was pretty sure she wasn¡¯t acting maliciously. This was someone in reaction. ¡°What happened to you?¡± She kept wailing, her head cocked back and tentacles squirming out of her. ¡°Whoever you are¡ªwherever you came from¡ªI¡¯ll save you¡ªGUH!¡± A tentacle came and hoisted me into the air by my neck. I yelled as it flung me up. My neck¡ªshe definitely snapped it. I looked down and saw another tentacle¡¯s tip coming for me. ¡°I¡¯m going to be skewered.¡± I gritted my teeth. The tentacle entered my body through my exposed intestines, and it tore upward, tearing apart my lungs. Blood surged from my every orifice. It reached my neck¡ªit was going to obliterate my¡ª ... ... ... ... ¡°Damn it.¡± It was always hard to stay conscious after losing my head. I opened my eyes as my body started forming out of thin air. The woman was still screaming down below. Meanwhile, I was a disembodied neck-and-head floating about five feet from her. I imagined myself moving my hand toward her, and my arms started forming in response. I sucked in air and resolved to go back into the fray. ¡°You¡¯re not getting rid of me!¡± I yelled. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Another tentacle came at me from the side, and I struck out with my almost formed arm. ¡°I¡¯m your nightmare now!¡± My arm returned but not in the form of a human arm¡ªno, it was an arm with a giant mouth full of sharp, black teeth in the place of a hand. Using that mouth, I bit through the oncoming tentacle, leaving one piece writhing on the ground and the base recoiling. Her scream erupted. It was so loud it was bursting my eardrums and throwing me off balance. ¡°Nightmares never die!!!¡± I roared back. My ears reformed into giant, and black plugged ears. Meanwhile, the tentacles frantically swiped at me. They were intent on keeping me away from her. My other hand transformed into a mouth that matched the other. Using those mouths, I bit through the tentacles as they came. I had limits, though. The tentacles ripped me apart and threw my body around in different directions. I was pretty pathetic, in all honestly. Even so¡ª ¡°This isn¡¯t how you stop a nightmare, ma¡¯am.¡± I, as just a torso and a head, floated in the air as my body reformed out of black mist. Black wings spread out from behind my back. Then, instead of reclaiming my lower half, black tentacles poured out from my waist. Gurgles came from down there moments before a giant mouth with angler fish-like teeth emerged from the tentacles... I was a human man with mouths for hands, had black wings, and had a giant mouth and tentacles for a lower body. ¡°Erk¡ª¡° I almost gagged. Looking down at her, my thoughts slipped out. ¡°So a fear of teeth? Or maybe a fear of being eaten? This is your nightmare?¡± I looked at myself one more time. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m practically a torso glued to a giant mouth.¡± I shuddered and shook my head before descending toward the woman. ¡°How much more nightmarish will you make me, ma¡¯am?¡± I tried to smile, but nope. Couldn¡¯t do it. I was creeped out too. The tentacles sunk into the black floor in an instant and just as quickly shot out from the space immediately around her. My giant mouth opened wide and clamped down on four tentacles as my hand-mouths chomped two more tentacles. This, of course, left well over 20 tentacles and those leftovers took turns slapping me around. Five slaps later, I chomped an incoming one with my right hand, but another tentacle uppercut me. My giant mouth bit another two as the teeth in my proper mouth grew to resemble an angler fish¡¯s teeth, too. A tentacle slapped me on the right side of my torso and sent me flying toward the ground, where two more tentacles shot toward me. My wings got between me and the oncoming tentacles. A grotesque squish came from my wings the moment the tentacles made contact... You guessed it¡ªtwo giant mouths opened on the exterior of my wings and ate the tips of the tentacles. I unfurled my wings as a second set grew from my lower back. Razor-like teeth then grew from the edges of all four. ¡°God, is this a phobia or a fetish?¡± I inwardly castigated myself for making light of her. ¡°Okay, sorry.¡± The nun¡ªshe screamed louder. It was loud enough that I could hear it through plugged ears. She was going mad, even. She was clawing at her face and spilling black blood as she wailed. Each time she reached the bottom of her face, she¡¯d run her bloodied fingers back up to her hairline and drag them back down. All the while, her tentacles squirmed around her¡ªthose things weren¡¯t approaching me carelessly anymore. The ones that had been made into a snack had already retreated too. ¡°You¡¯re panicking...¡± I said to her. ¡°In that state, you won¡¯t figure out the easiest way to escape this nightmare.¡± She let out the loudest wail as soon as I slid toward her. The skin covering her mouth hole stretched more. She was looking more and more like a wailing zombie. A tentacle lashed out at me, and I devoured it. My left hand gurgled and pulsated. With a disgusting squelch, a black sword drenched in green slime and covered in runes extended from my left mouth-hand. Black teeth grew out from the edge of the blade, and a revolting odor reached my nostrils. ¡°There¡¯s no end to this nightmare, it seems!¡± I slid toward her, propelled by the many tentacles that made my lower body. My giant waist-mouth was ready to eat, as were the other hands. Tentacles lashed out, and I cut them with the new sword¡ªthey couldn¡¯t stop me now. ¡°Do you know how nightmares work?¡± I asked the wailing woman, mere inches from her face. The remaining tentacles were like lightning¡ªthat¡¯s how fast they were when they all impaled me. How many holes did I have in my body? Maybe eight fist-sized holes. Even so, I looked at the woman. ¡°How do you stop a nightmare? You lose to the nightmare and wake-up up with all your rational senses re-activated. The second way to stop a nightmare is to exhaust yourself into a deeper sleep, thereby retreating...¡± Revolting, stomach-churning sounds came from the spots the tentacles punched through. In the next moment, black blood streamed from the tentacles like they were sprinklers. Every bold tentacle shrank back, each missing half of its mass, and each with the signs of having been bitten. I, panting, landed. There were many mouths on my body now. ¡°Oh... The tentacles are a little different from you. This is their fear too... Weird. I¡¯m interested in what relationship you have with these tentacles, ma¡¯am.¡± For the first time, the tentacles wrapped around her and pulled her back. There were only four tentacles out now. The others had receded back into the black substance covering the floor. They were probably going to grow back without my helping them. The question was really whether they were brave enough to strike me. The four that were left were trembling. I pointed the sword at them. ¡°See, that¡¯s the thing. One doesn¡¯t beat a nightmare. No. If one can turn a bad dream into a good one by vanquishing a scary monster¡ªnah, that¡¯s just an interesting dream.¡± I smiled at her as two mouths formed on either side of my own. ¡°No, a nightmare, in essence, can never be beaten. One can only try to escape it. That¡¯s what makes them terrifying.¡± Her wail weakened as she started to gasp for air more and more. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t going to end until you fall into a dreamless sleep or you reclaim your senses enough to wake up.¡± I dashed toward her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be your monster all the way to the end.¡± I got past her and slashed her right down the middle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ª¡± Her two halves fell to the ground. Her wail was still coming out despite that. ¡°¡ªnightmares can¡¯t hurt you after all.¡± One blink later, and her two halves were back together. ¡°We can only terrorize you. So come back and let me terrorize you into submission.¡± I brandished the sword, cut the remaining tentacles, and ran it through where I thought her heart would be. Squelching sounds came from her chest as the teeth wriggled and scraped her bones. ¡°How much longer are you going to dream, ma¡¯am?¡± Episode 04: Chaos While Waiting- Svilran’s POV Svilran had waited before the black dome that Fainn created for five hours. She spent the entire time staring and straining her ears for any hint of what was occurring. She had also, quite nervously, bitten her nails down to the bed. This former goddess, stunned into inaction, wouldn¡¯t move from the spot Fainn left her in until he returned. Thankfully for her, she was used to staying still for long periods of time. Finally, at the fifth hour, something changed¡ªthe dome¡¯s surface became less dark. ¡°Fainn?¡± she asked as she looked for any sign of the man. Her hopes grew when she saw something stirring, but they quickly died when she realized the approaching figure was not Fainn. It wasn¡¯t the shadows of the squirming tentacles that scared her. It wasn¡¯t the outline of the wings, and it wasn¡¯t the hints of sharp edges. No, it was the sheer size of the creature. Svilran whimpered as she looked up. She stammered¡ªshe couldn¡¯t get past the first letter of the man¡¯s name. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The creature hit the boundary of the barrier, and tears flowed from Svilran¡¯s eyes with the power of a mighty river. The colossal creature had fang-filled mouths for a stomach, hands, and eyes. Red, pulsating orbs littered its body, and tentacles acted as its legs. It pressed itself against the barrier, at times looking as ridiculous as a child pressing the face against a glass door. Slowly, the creature started losing its form as smoke escaped the dome. Cracks propagated from everywhere the creature touched, and with one last push, the dome shattered. With it went the image of the creature¡ªas if it was an imprint on a pane of glass. Svilran cast her gaze downward at all that was left¡ªthat figure¡ªas he walked out of the smoke. She struggled with his name. He didn¡¯t with hers. ¡°Svilran, sorry about that.¡± Fainn¡ªlooking as normal as he did when he disappeared¡ªwalked out. The mysterious nun was in his arms, unconscious and with the pole¡ªand the lantern hanging from it¡ªstill pressed against her back. He walked up to the fountain, panting furiously as he did, and gently set the woman down. ¡°She had more energy than I thought she had.¡± He looked up at the shocked goddess. ¡°Alright, does this woman have heroic potential or what?¡± There were so many questions in Svilran¡¯s mind, but she was just stuck on his name. ¡°Fainn...¡± she said with a teary smile. Episode 004: Chaos While Waiting Part 02 ¡°Svilran?¡± She was just staring at me... Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have tried to carry on like nothing happened, but... Didn¡¯t she know I had this power? Wasn¡¯t that why she picked me? ¡°Svilran, I need you to talk to me¡ª" ¡°What was that, Fainn?¡± Her lips quivered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be human?¡± I tried to calm down my panting. ¡°I am human, Svilran. Didn¡¯t you know I had that power?¡± ¡°No! Humans aren¡¯t supposed to have any power unless they were looked at favorably by deity. And in that sense, there were only a couple hundred humans¡ªmost certainly, the last era only had three or four with real power.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Something didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°No.¡± I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°In the last stages of the apocalypse, a lot of people gained powers. How did you think I survived?¡± Svilran stammered. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°How? Weren¡¯t you a goddess?¡± ¡°I mean¡ªyes! I was! But I was kind of preoccupied at the time.¡± ¡°Okay. Well. This is me. I¡¯m Fainn, and I have a power.¡± ¡°And that power lets you turn into that.¡± I sighed and had to take many breaths¡ªI was exhausted. ¡°Okay. My power has a name. +Nightmares ARE Fiction+... It¡¯s a weird name, but that¡¯s it. The power¡ªone aspect of it lets me create a special zone where I become a reflection of the other person¡¯s nightmare.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s what happened with... her?¡° I nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You were gone for five hours... Were you¡ª¡° ¡°Yeah. I was terrorizing her for that long... That was the longest I¡¯d ever done it. The power... It¡¯s not actually one that lets me kill something. It¡¯s more like a battle of endurance. The nightmare that I become¡ªit poisons the person¡¯s mind until they either reach lucidity and lose the will to fight¡ªin effect, waking up¡ªor they fall unconscious after being overwhelmed.¡± I looked at the nun. ¡°This girl¡ªshe wasn¡¯t going to wake up and stop, so I had to whittle down whatever will was keeping her in the fight.¡± Svilran stepped out of the fountain, kneeled, and looked at the nun. The tentacles were gone. All that was at our knees was an unconscious woman with torn-up skin where her mouth would be. ¡°She... She¡¯s hurt, but not as much as I would expect someone who fought for five hours to be.¡± ¡°Because nightmares aren¡¯t real. I only damaged her mind. Every physical wound disappeared when the nightmare ended.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Svilran looked at me, stunned. ¡°That power is... That power is too complex. No god that I know of has such a power.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what I have. I¡¯m here in front of you because of it.¡± Svilran turned frantic and showed the crown of her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. I¡¯m just processing all of this!¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I... really thought you knew about it...¡± The nun made a sound, and we both looked at her immediately. She was still unconscious, but that lantern she had with her started glowing a little more strongly. ¡°Fainn, this lantern...¡± ¡°No idea. It and the stick it¡¯s hanging from are connected to her spine.¡± I looked at Svilran, wholly unsure of what to do. ¡°What do we do, Svilran? I¡¯m not knowledgeable enough for this.¡± ¡°I... Okay!¡± Svilran put on a brave face. ¡°We can figure this out. You made a wish, and the Imaginal Will responded by sending this woman down. What was the wish?¡± ¡°I wished for another Hero we could nurture.¡± There was a small lie of omission in there, but she didn¡¯t need to know it. ¡°Okay... We need to identify whether she has heroic potential or not.¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± Svilran shook her head. ¡°Not now. We as a Hero Hub can only do it through the .¡± ¡°Then...¡± ¡°Can you carry her to the ? There¡¯s a simple way of checking her. If it works, we¡¯ll also get the basic information about her.¡± I took many breaths and then lifted the nun. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Are you okay, Fainn? You¡¯re really panting.¡± ¡°I can do it.¡± I looked down at the unconscious nun. ¡°We¡¯ll help you out, Miss.¡± *** In the ¡ª ¡°Okay, just set her down there.¡± Svilran went to the telescope, tinkered with it a bit, and pulled out the eyepiece. ¡°This is where half of this observatory¡¯s magic resides. This should be able able to help us.¡± She closed one eye and put the eyepiece up to her other eye. ¡°We can do that?¡± ¡°Many of the Hero Hub facilities reach their true potential when user creativity gets involved...¡± Svilran scanned the girl up and down. ¡°Hmm... She¡¯s definitely a good one. She¡¯s got the glow and everything.¡± I felt elation, but then I got concerned. ¡°And her injuries? She didn¡¯t have her body reconstructed the way Elma did.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Svilran said, still examining the nun with the eyepiece. ¡°She¡¯s been recovering ever since she arrived, albeit slowly. The Hero Hub has a natural, albeit, extremely minor regenerative effect¡ªthough we wouldn¡¯t see it with normal arrivals.¡± Svilran turned one of the rings on the eyepiece and peered at the nun closer. I wiped the sweat from my brow. ¡°That¡¯s great! What are you doing now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting the process of extracting information from her¡ª¡° The room shook¡ªno, not the room¡ªall the Hero Hub shook. Svilran almost fell over, but I caught her in my arms. ¡°Svilran?! What¡¯s going on?¡± The shaking was intense. Even the telescope was creaking. ¡°I¡¯m not sure!¡± Svilran squealed. ¡°I don¡¯t sense another being entering¡ªI don¡¯t know what¡¯s causing this quake!¡± The shaking stopped as suddenly as it started, and I looked at Svilran while nervously chuckling. ¡°What a day, right?¡± She looked at me, exasperated. ¡°Right. What a day.¡± She left my embrace and went back to examining the nun. ¡°Should we not investigate the shaking?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any abnormalities within the Hero Hub. You shouldn¡¯t either... We may have just hit turbulence.¡± ¡°¡®Turbulence?¡¯ Really?¡± ¡°The Hero Hub sort of floats in the Imaginal Realm, so yeah. Turbulence could happen.¡± ¡°Oh wow, that¡¯s interesti¡ª¡° I shut up immediately and flung my head toward the building¡¯s door. I glanced back at Svilran, but she was focused on the nun. Turning my gaze back to the door, right as I was thinking I was just being paranoid, I saw a shadow shift... Or, I was sure I saw it shift... I wasn¡¯t sure anymore. I stood up and looked around the room. It was definitely there¡ªfear. A cold sweat was running down my spine. ¡°Fainn?¡± Svilran asked, confused. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just checking something,¡± I replied, stepping away from the telescope¡¯s platform. ¡°Okay... I almost have all the information... It¡¯s kind of wild,¡± Svilran said. ¡°Ahh. Well, I can¡¯t wait,¡± I said with my eyes on everything but Svilran. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think I was being too paranoid. My +Nightmares ARE Fiction+ made me a bit more sensitive to terrifying existences... That said, it didn¡¯t make sense to think there was a terrifying existence here, but I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. ¡°Fainn!¡± Svilran¡¯s sudden call almost gave me a heart attack, and I turned around to see Svilran excitedly beckoning me over. ¡°I got all the info,¡± she said. I took a breath, looked over my shoulder for good measure, and then walked over to Svilran. ¡°So what do we got?¡± I asked. ¡°This is... There¡¯s a lot... But... given that she is actually a Hero candidate, could we get her into a dorm room? It will help her better. We can keep speaking there.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Monster Girl Archive Entry 002: Dying Light Terrorizer [IMAGE] A strange Imaginal. Where exactly did this come from truly? No respectable scholar actually knows. We simply know it exists. An Imaginal known to wander one of the Paths Between¡ªThe Deep Trenches. This female-only race of Imaginals manifests as humanoids wearing attire similar to those the religious humans would wear. Their most striking feature is the lantern that dangles above their head on the lamppost that extends from their back. This lantern is said to reflect the Dying Light Terrorizer¡¯s health. When it is bright and vibrant, the Dying Light Terrorizer is in good health. Conversely, when it is waning or flickering, the Dying Light Terrorizer is in dire straits. The second feature one is likely to notice is the Terrorizer¡¯s lack of a mouth. It has been noted that they do have a gullet, but the only times their mouth is ever exposed is when they are imperiled. Some theorize the lack of a mouth helps the Dying Light Terrorizer survive in the Deep Trenches. Another little-known fact about Dying Light Terrorizers is that they have a unique method of communicating. They speak by attaching spores to another and communicating telepathically through the channel the spores establish. These Imaginal, with kindly appearances lacking monstrous features, and harboring timid dispositions, seem like they may be approachable, but take heed, Imaginal Traveler. These Imaginal are plagued by an Abyssal Curse. Within their bodies stirs a monstrous force that they spend every waking moment trying to hold within their body. In the case of the Dying Light Terrorizer, their Abyssal Curse takes the form of massive tentacles that are prone to shooting out of the Imaginal¡¯s body when the host loses their concentration. These tentacles¡ªan entity in and of themselves¡ªhave a symbiotic relationship with their host, and while they care not for their surroundings, they WILL try to protect their host. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Dying Light Terrorizers are devoted to an Ancient Elder of the Deep Trenches¡ª¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. These devoted Imaginal spend most of their time alive praying to said entity, the thought being that it is the prayers that assist them in keeping their Abyssal Curse under control. No one is sure how these Imaginal came to be, nor do they know whether these Imaginal always worshiped the Elder of the Deep Trenches. Was the garb they wear something that came about because of their worship, or did the garb indicate they were prone to worship creatures? Do all Deep Terror Terrorizers worship the same being? If so, then why? These are some of the many questions concerning Dying Light Terrorizers. Those who encountered Dying Light Terrorizers and survived typically give the same advice. ¡®Do not engage; simply let them be on their way.¡¯ If the Terrorizer is threatened or critically injured, its Abyssal Curse will rampage and destroy indiscriminately. In this sense, Dying Light Terrorizers are just too volatile to keep around in any meaningful fashion. They are at their most peaceful when they are alone, and giving them their space only ensures continued peace for all who cross them. This, of course, makes it difficult for one to study them, but safety should always be paramount. One final question plagues this writer¡ªdoes a Dying Light Terrorizer wish to be alone? Episode 004: Chaos While Waiting Part 03 At the Dorm¡ª The nun was in her bed. We would give her a choice to stay whenever she woke up. And now, with Svilran and I sitting across from each other on chairs beside the nun¡¯s bedside, she told me what she had learned. ¡°This woman is something called a Dying Light Terrorizer.¡± ¡°Scary name... I guess those tentacles were pretty scary.¡± ¡°It gets scarier. They¡¯re from... somewhere special in the Imaginal Realms... They live in the Paths Between, specifically a portion of it called the Deep Trenches.¡± ¡°So, Deep Trenches is a sub-category of these Paths Between? What¡¯s the Paths Between?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Svilran knit her brow as she cast her gaze toward the nun. ¡°I don¡¯t know too much about it¡ªit¡¯s somewhere that even the Hero Hub can¡¯t really graze. What¡¯s known is that the Paths Between sort of exist in the gaps between the worlds of the Imaginal Realm. The locales there can touch many of the Imaginal Worlds.¡± ¡°Okay, so the name is really on the nose.¡± ¡°Yes... This nun, also, apparently worships one of the great beings of the Deep Trenches, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.¡± ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö?¡± I touched my throat, shocked I could make such a strange sound. ¡°What the heck?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t say that name. It escapes our comprehension.¡± ¡°Even you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Nope. Remember that I¡¯m like you in that we¡¯re from Earth. We¡¯re beings that were never meant to enter the Imaginal Realms in our current states.¡± ¡°Right... Okay... Is this great being one of the Imaginal Will?¡± Svilran shook her head and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know... There¡¯s another big thing about this woman¡ªthe nature of her tentacles.¡± My interest skyrocketed, and I leaned in. ¡°What do we got?¡± ¡°The tentacles are a manifestation of something called an Abyssal Curse. They¡¯re also parasitic, and apparently, the Imaginals of this race spend every waking moment trying to keep the tentacles at bay within their body. The tentacles, however, want to protect their host. So when the host is hurt...¡± ¡°They lash out! And they¡¯re parasitic, huh? Suddenly, things are starting to make sense. I was wondering just how and why my power was picking up strange fear responses... It makes sense now.¡± I looked at the nun with pity. ¡°Still, she spends her life trying to keep the curse under control.¡± My heart throbbed. ¡°That¡¯s so sad.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Svilran said as she wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°Poor thing... Even if she weren¡¯t a Hero, I would feel compelled to try and help her. No one should live in fear of themselves their whole life.¡± The notion struck a chord with me, and I agreed inwardly. ¡°So, what are the next steps, Svilran?¡± ¡°We can do nothing else but wait for her to recover¡ª¡° Svilran cut herself short. She was looking a little to her left, toward the bed. I glanced to the side too. It took me by surprise. ¡°Good morning, there,¡± I said, unsure what else would have been appropriate. The nun was there, sitting up and stretching with her eyes closed like she had just woken up from a peaceful nap. The lantern above her head was emitting a light the brightest we had ever seen. She opened her eyes and energetically looked at me. Those eyes so full of life quickly widened, and she went paler than I thought her gray skin would let her go. She shot backward so quickly that the back of her head hit the wall and shook the room. She didn¡¯t wince or cry. Instead, the nun reached up toward her lantern and pulled it down between us. The lamppost bent and extended, and the green veins that ran along the shaft became more prominent, like they were veins with blood pumping through. She kept trying to push herself back with her legs¡ªif the wall were any weaker, she would have broken through. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Fainn! You¡¯re scaring her!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to!¡± Svilran launched herself onto the bed and crawled up to the nun until she could grab her and pull her closer. The nun didn¡¯t resist¡ªher head landed on Svilran¡¯s chest while her eyes were still locked on me. ¡°There, there,¡± Svilran said, her voice soft and loving. ¡°The scary man won¡¯t hurt you. He¡¯s actually really nice.¡± I prayed Svilran¡¯s natural aura would calm her, and it felt like they were answered. She slowly stopped, and the fear in her eyes was replaced by bliss. She looked at Svilran with a twinkle in her eye. Svilran nodded at her and smiled. She then looked at me. ¡°Hi,¡± I said, timidly waving at her. ¡°I¡¯m Fainn... Sorry that I scared you, but those tentacles were scary themselves. I had to scare them back.¡± She cocked her head at me for a little and squinted. I nervously looked to the side, a little guilty that she was so shaken up. She then raised her hands in surprise and shifted toward me. ¡°Y-Yes?¡± I asked. Her neon green eyes¡ªthey looked like they were twinkling at me. Did I do something good? She bowed and pressed her head against the bed. ¡°Hey, whoa there. What did I do?¡± Her lantern was swaying above her, and its light was cool. ¡°Oh, Miss Nun,¡± Svilran said. The nun raised her head and looked at Svilran. ¡°You have a method of communicating through spores, don¡¯t you? Perhaps you could do that? We want to understand you!¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked, recoiling. The nun wasn¡¯t as weirded out. She nodded enthusiastically, and her lantern¡¯s casing flew open. A trail of light left the lantern and swirled around Svilran¡¯s hand and then mine. I felt a strange tingle and then felt something take root. When the light dissipated, there was a tiny blue mushroom with a tiny bulb growing out of my hand. I poked at it a little. ¡°What is this thing? Should I be concerned?¡± ¡°No!¡± I looked at Svilran, shocked. It wasn¡¯t a voice, but it was like something was whispered into my mind. Svilran, however, wasn¡¯t as shocked. No, she was delighted. ¡°Wow! So that¡¯s how it works!¡± Svilran said, marveling at the shroom and the nun. She then smiled at me. ¡°This little mushy lets us speak with her more efficiently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± or something like that was conveyed. ¡°Wow. Neat.¡± ¡°You can pop it off whenever you want!¡± I laughed. ¡°Alright. Cool. Thanks, Miss Nun.¡± ¡°Oh, oh, oh, Miss Nun! Do you have a name?¡± The nun nodded and gestured for something to write on. I leaned toward the desk in the room and pulled the pen and paper out for her. She received it, scribbled something down, and then showed us. ¡°Dorth... Dorthaunzee?¡± I asked, hoping I pronounced the word name correctly. Her enthusiastic nods reassured me. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Dorthaunzee!¡± Svilran said as she hugged the jubilant nun. ¡°Hey, Svilran, be careful there. She might not be fully healed¡ª¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay, Fainn!¡± Svilran shot off the bed and jerked me onto my feet. ¡°We should introduce ourselves, Fainn!¡± Svilran made me stand beside her as she jumped up and down with excitement. ¡°Fainn, drum roll, please!¡± ¡°Uhh...¡± I looked around and just settled on the desk. I drum-rolled as Dorthaunzee silently clapped. ¡°Dorthaunzee! You have landed in a mysterious new land. We would like to be the first to welcome you to our wonderful home!¡± Svilran hopped and landed in an excited, arms out pose, releasing mini fireworks from her hands. ¡°The Hero Hub!¡± The letters flashed in the air above her head. I was still drumming, amused by the light show. ¡°Fainn,¡± she said, pouting at me. ¡°You didn¡¯t do it right!¡± I looked at her. ¡°Lady, I¡¯ll kick you out of this room. Don¡¯t test me.¡± She shrank back with a look of betrayal on her face. Meanwhile, the sound of clapping reached our ears, as did a very light and happy feeling. We both looked at the nun, and while she lacked a mouth, we knew she was happy. Seeing her clapping put smiles on our faces. ¡°Dorthaunzee,¡± Svilran said, ¡°if you¡¯d let us, we would like to tell you how you ended up here! May we?¡± The nun nodded enthusiastically. Svilran went over what happened in great detail. She explained how Dorthaunzee landed here, how her tentacles went crazy, how I stood up to stop her by scaring her, and then how we got her to safety. At the end of it all, she nodded and accepted it easily. Svilran then gave her a quick welcome speech and intro to the Hero Hub. She ended the introduction with this: ¡°So, that¡¯s what¡¯s going on here. Dorthaunzee, you have the potential to be a Hero. Do you want to stay with us and become one of this Hero Hub¡¯s resident Heroes-in-the-making?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to decide right now,¡± I said. ¡°We have time, right, Svilran?¡± ¡°Yes. After checking, Dorthaunzee now has two days to decide.¡± ¡°Two? Neat. That¡¯s more than Elma got.¡± Dorthaunzee, meanwhile, put her hand on her chin for a few seconds. She then looked at us. A thought came through. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to help others?¡± The question warmed my heart. I was sure it warmed Svilran¡¯s too¡ªthe former goddess was on the verge of tears after all. ¡°You most certainly can! In fact, our other Hero is out in a world helping people already!¡± The fact made Dorthaunzee clap. ¡°Oh, I know! How about we give you a super-quick tour of our current, humble little Hero Hub?¡± Svilran suggested. ¡°You can make your choice then if you¡¯d like!¡± The nun nodded, and like that, we were out the door and off touring the Hub. As we headed out, I wondered if we would find out what had happened to her before she arrived here. Episode 005: Dorthaunzee and We We toured the main facilities first, and with each one, Svilran gave helpful descriptions. For the : ¡°This dorm has everything a dorm would have! Your room is stocked with basic items to make your life easier; it has some clothes, towels, and toiletries too! If you ever need something washed, it¡¯s as easy as putting them in these washing machines. The dorm lacks a kitchen, however.¡± Dorthaunzee felt grateful. For the : ¡°This is a really cute spot! I personally love it. This is where we make wishes. It¡¯s probably why you ended up here! Fainn and I are probably the only ones that can make serious wishes... Please don¡¯t make wishes at this fountain... Just in case.¡± "Maybe I''ll come here often," Dorthaunzee conveyed. For the : ¡°This is where we look for worlds and heroes! It¡¯s a lot of hard work because of how complicated using the telescope is. Do you want to look through the telescope? Look, see that woman there? That¡¯s Elma! Oh¡ªFainn, it seems Elma has met up with that world¡¯s Hero!¡± Dorthaunzee was very interested in both the telescope and Elma. For the Portal: ¡°This is where we dispatch Heroes from! This is also where we collect them from... You¡¯re a bit of a special case, Dorthaunzee, but should you join us, we¡¯ll be able to dispatch you from here!¡± She was starry-eyed. Then we went to our house¡ª ¡°This is where Fainn and I live? Hmm? No! Don¡¯t make that face, Dorthaunzee! Fainn and I live together, but it¡¯s out of necessity. We have our separate rooms and everything! Right, Fainn? We¡¯re not doing anything that would make a nun disapprove, right?¡± Finally, we wrapped up our tour by visiting the watermelon-producing jungle. ¡°Here in the Hero Hub, we currently grow one fruit¡ªwatermelons! Here¡¯s a welcome melon, Dorthaunzee!¡± The nun happily received the watermelon the size of her head and kept walking along with us as we looked around the jungle. ¡°I can carry that if you want, Dorthaunzee,¡± I said. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble!¡± she conveyed, smiling with her eyes. I had only just noticed, but she was walking pretty close to me. It was nice. Sometimes I would look at her lantern with child-like wonder, too. Svilran, meanwhile, was leading our group and proudly pointing at all the ¡®hidden melons¡¯ as she called them. ¡°Oh! There¡¯s one¡ªoof¡ª¡° ¡°Hey, be careful, Svilran,¡± I said, having caught her after she tripped on a vine. ¡°Keep an eye on your feet. You know the ground¡¯s not even here.¡± ¡°Y-Yes! Of course!¡± she replied, red-faced. The fall must have scared her. I helped her stand up straight as Dorthaunzee clapped by slapping her melon. I chuckled and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a full-time job around these parts.¡± ¡°Faaainn,¡± Svilran whined. She playfully pounded on my arm. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like I¡¯m a job!¡± ¡°You two get along,¡± Dorthaunzee conveyed, a ticklish feeling radiating from her. I pushed her head away and kept her at a distance as I smirked. ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be good for us to not get along.¡± She kept swinging her tiny fist at me, but my arm was longer than hers. ¡°Fainn! Stop bullying me in front of our prospect!¡± ¡°Why? This is funny. And look, Dorthaunzee thinks it¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°Now, now,¡± Dorthaunzee conveyed. Svilran broke away from me and ran to Dorthaunzee. ¡°Miss Nun, Fainn is being mean to a former goddess,¡± she cried as she hugged her. ¡°Admonish him!¡± I looked on, straight-faced. ¡°There seems there was some kind of reversal here...¡± Dorthaunzee wagged her finger at me. If it wasn¡¯t for her happy eyes and the feeling she was radiating, I would have thought she was actually chastising me. ¡°Dorthaunzee! Admonish him seriously,¡± Svilran said, giggling. I walked past Svilran, flicking her nose as I did. ¡°You¡¯re going to tire out this woman with your antics, Svilran.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have ¡®antics,¡¯ Fainn,¡± Svilran snapped back. She marched behind me. ¡°Fainn, I don¡¯t have antics.¡± Dorthaunzee followed us, still streaming her glee into our consciousness. One hour later¡ª ¡°This edge of the Hub is still so mysterious. I almost think I¡¯m dreaming when I stare at it,¡± I said. ¡°I sort of wish we had a different scene to look at, but this is soothing.¡± Dorthaunzee nodded along. The three of us were sitting at the edge of the Hero Hub and were looking out into the sea that reflected the stars above. We couldn¡¯t actually cross into the ocean, but the water could reach our feet, as mystical as it was. ¡°I want to be a Hero,¡± Dorthaunzee conveyed. Svilran and I looked at her, the girl sitting between the two of us as she looked out into the distance. ¡°I want to help people, too.¡± What she could convey¡ªit was pretty limited. It was like there were hundreds of thoughts behind the one that made it through¡ªthat was what I got after being hooked up to her for a while. ¡°Well, if you want to join us,¡± Svilran said, ¡°then we will gladly accept you! Right, Fainn?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± I grinned at Dorthaunzee."So, do you want to help people with us?" She nodded, smiling with her eyes. ¡°Welcome to the team, Dorthaunzee.¡± ¡°Oh, goodie,¡± Svilran said, clapping and celebrating. ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll be able to pick up more missions?¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯m just glad the wish worked out.¡± A wave of immense relief came from Dorthaunzee... Right. She had come to us wounded... She must have been through something rough... Of course, she would be relieved to have been saved... I studied her habit. I wondered if she thought her god had saved her. From my perspective, there was a pretty good shot that was the case, and if it wasn¡¯t her god, then some Imaginal Will was looking out for her. I looked at the starry sky and was disappointed that there weren¡¯t any other stars falling toward us. Episode 005: Dorthaunzee and We Part 02 A few hours later¡ª "We should probably call it a day," I said. We had spent some hours watching over Elma''s Mission. She seemed to be doing alright with the party. At the rate they were going through the whatever dungeon they were exploring, we were hopeful she would help the world''s Hero find the critical treasure some time tomorrow. Svilran and I walked Dorthaunzee back to the dorm and said our goodnights. Dorthaunzee plucked the mushrooms off of us before she turned in too... It was a little disorienting being separated from the pleasant background noise she had been generating. "Man, so many new sensations¡ªwho would have thought I''d miss being hooked up to a mushroom?" "We have a new Hero, Fainn!" Svilran said as she skipped ahead of me. She spun on her heels and showed me the widest and happiest grin. "It was scary at the start, but it worked out." "We got lucky," I replied. She raised a finger and pouted comically. "Do be careful, though. Our luck will run out eventually." I glanced at the as we crossed it. "I''ll keep that in mind." Svilran giggled and walked backward with her hands behind her back until she was back in step with me. "I hope Dorthaunzee enjoys the watermelon." "Me too... though... how do you think she eats? She doesn''t have a mouth¡ª" "Actually, her species do have gullets. They just don''t have the opening naturally... Still, how does she eat... Oh, I hope she didn''t accept the melon to be polite." Svilran slumped forward, and I patted her shoulder. "We can ask her tomorrow or something." "Yeah..." Svilran inched closer¡ªenough so that her arm would occasionally graze mine. "I... had a lot of fun tonight, Fainn. The activities we did... Hanging out, watching over Elma, and sitting at the edge and talking... That''s the type of stuff I want to be able to do with all Heroes..." Svilran clasped her hands and rested them in front of her heart. "A scene of many of us sitting together enjoying a peaceful moment and laughing¡ªthat is what I want to be part of. I can''t wait. When we really start developing our Hub¡ªit''s going to be amazing. I hope we''ll be able to make a lot of recreation facilities." "Heh. It sounds heavenly. I can''t wait." "But there are more activities we can do now, too! Ones that can really strengthen our bonds!" Svilran said, showing a toothy smile. "Maybe we can do sleepovers or stuff like that. That sounds fun, right, Fainn?" This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "I''d say so." I kept a straight face on, but oh man¡ªthere were no words to describe how amazing that would be. I resolved myself that no matter what, I would support Svilran at all turns until these sleepovers were a reality... I prayed my desperation wasn''t obvious on my face. "Oh! We can share ghost stories or talk about all the heroic legends we know!" Svilran''s excitement was infectious. Yeah, I definitely wanted to sit down and chat with the girls like that. We got to the door, and I opened it and let Svilran in. "Oh my," she giggled. "What a gentleman." "I love how enthusiastic you are, Svilran," I said as I followed her in. "I can''t help but smile." "Ahh," she said, her cheeks reddening. She stepped over closer to the kitchen and scratched her cheeks. "I just... It''ll be really nice..." She glanced at a watermelon on the counter. "In the mood for some melon?" I asked. She covered her face with her hands and peeked from between her fingers. "Is that bad?" I laughed. "Of course not, you worry wort." I went to the counter and sliced up the melon. "Besides, it''s healthy. I''ll have a slice too." "You don''t have to," Svilran replied, looking a little meek. "Come on. These things are delicious." I put slices on a plate and took them to the table. "God bless the Hero Hub and its well-stocked facilities." We both sat across from each other at the table and enjoyed our slices of melon. It was just her and I, but I hoped she enjoyed this peaceful moment. The beautiful smile she wore gave me hope she was happy. Eventually, the time to sleep came. Svilran went to her room¡ª "Good night, Fainn! Sleep well!" And I went to mine... The moment I got in there, I breathed and tried to calm my nerves. "Nothing will happen. Nothing will happen. I''ll be okay... Svilran''s close enough. She''s right in the other room. The first night was fine..." I made my way to the bed as I peeled off layer after layer of my outfit. I took my rings off and slipped into the pajamas the house provided. "I''ll take a shower in the morning... That''ll be fine..." I got into bed hesitantly. "It''ll be okay... I''m fine. I''ll be fine." I was tired. I closed my eyes. "I''ll be fine..." I drifted into a dream... ..... .... ... .. . My eyes sprang open. I looked down at my hand and saw tentacles and teeth surging out of it. A tentacle tore out through my eye. Another bound my neck. I grabbed the eye-tentacle and ripped it out with my good hand. The transforming hand¡ªI swung it around and started slapping it with the tentacle I ripped out. I didn''t stop until the emanations turned into nightmare smoke. Finally, the tentacle binding my neck¡ªI clawed at it until it turned to smoke too. Freed, I shot up and gasped. "Shit! It affected me after all! How stupid could I be..." I panted as beads of sweat fell from my head. "That was the longest I was ever anyone''s nightmare. Of course it would stick in my head." +Nightmares ARE Fiction+ had a few downsides... Well... It had many downsides. Chief among them was the fact that on some nights, the nightmares would slip out of my head and terrorize me. Today they were worst than usual, thanks to the very mind-searing events of the day. I felt something and looked at my hand. There it was, the other common downside. "A rotten apple this time, huh?" For whatever reason, when food wasn''t around, I would be left with some spoiled and rotten food items. This thing, unlike the nightmares, didn''t go up in smoke. Instead, it only kept rotting. Incidentally, when food was nearby, it would be as rotten when I woke up. Seeing the rotten fruit now made my stomach churn. I put it on my table and rested my head back on the sweat-drenched pillow. "Maybe... Maybe I won''t sleep tonight... I hope Elma''s having a better night than I am..." Episode 006: Elma’s Adventure Log ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we made it so far!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sure we¡¯re so far ahead!¡± ¡°We might actually be able to do it, guys. We might actually be able to find some treasure.¡± ¡°Everyone, remember, we¡¯ve got to thank Miss Elma!¡± The party of four looked at the other member sitting around the magic campfire together with them. ¡°Huh? What?¡± Elma asked as she raised her head from her knees. The young man with the messy hair ahead of her chuckled. ¡°Thanks, Elma. Your magic hands are really helping us get past all these traps and puzzles.¡± Elma¡¯s chuckle was soft. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, Harry.¡± The young man in front of her¡ªone wearing cheap hard leather armor over a green tunic was Harry Rals, the person her Mission designated as ¡®Hero.¡¯ He was a young, kind man from humble beginnings. From what Elma had gathered, his father was once a famous soldier. That father had long since passed. Now, Harry wanted to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps. Elma shifted her eyes to the one next to Harry. Orlan Barns. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t get cocky and drop our guards,¡± he said to the group. Orlan, a muscular and tan young man, was Harry¡¯s cousin. He was sort of like the group¡¯s muscle. While Harry was a lancer, Orlan swung around an old ax that had been in his family for generations. He was similarly equipped to Harry¡ªwhich made sense since they were both from the same small town. Elma had noticed that Harry would sometimes mirror Orlan¡¯s mannerisms. The young Hero probably looked up to his cousin a great deal. Next was a petite young lady, robed, blond, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed¡ªSarin Brewer. She was the type of girl that people would be tempted to manipulate. When that friendly face smiled at you, it made one feel inexplicably warm. Yes, that type was definitely the kind people would want to sequester. She definitely radiated a light that Elma herself was not afraid to say she could never match. That said, the woman¡¯s presence was suspicious. The other woman that accompanied her further stoked Elma¡¯s curious flames. Iyohar Tris. This mahogany-haired beauty stole gazes¡ªthat much was certain. Buxom and curvy, this woman came to this dungeon wearing a tight-fitting one-piece dress that showed off her cleavage and had a slit so high Elma wondered if she was wearing anything beneath the dress. The only thing this magic caster wore over her dress was the open jacket. Her witch¡¯s hat was also notable in that it really cemented her role as a spellcaster. The two women, Sarin and Iyohar, had only met the boys today. Elma had joined up with the group moments after, feeding them a story about being someone hoping to turn her luck around. The story resonated with the Hero. Iyohar also showed herself to be worldly. Upon meeting, she had asked Elma if she was a dark elf, something Elma shrugged at, playing the role of someone who wasn¡¯t entirely sure of her heritage. The vulnerability quickly got her accepted into the group. Still, Elma was suspicious of the two. Something was strange about Sarin¡¯s presence. Elma was reminded of the annoying upper-class undead children from her homeworld. Sarin had the same air as them, in the sense that she was out-of-touch. Iyohar, meanwhile, was exceedingly vigilant, and her focus was centered on Sarin. Elma¡¯s best guess? Iyohar was a bodyguard protecting some noble¡¯s daughter. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Elma was a little bothered that the cousins just welcomed them with open arms and didn¡¯t pry, but it was because of that nature that Elma, herself, was welcomed. If she were to pry, it would only cause disharmony. ¡°Elma, you must show me how to use that magic sometime,¡± Iyohar said as she handed Elma some tea she brewed. ¡°I would love to send my hands flying. Imagine all the books I would be able to collect without having to bother the librarian.¡± ¡°Maybe after all this is over. Can¡¯t have you all try to ditch me.¡± The group laughed with Harry, saying he would never, aghast at the thought. He was truly a straight forward Hero, that one. Suspicions aside, Elma truly enjoyed being with such a warm and happy group. Today, after forming a formal party and venturing into the dungeon, they had truly grown more comfortable with each other. They had all also risen to the challenge in their own ways. Elma¡¯s hope that she would be useful was also answered. Thanks to her floating hands, she was able to interact with many mechanisms that would have otherwise taken many dozens of minutes to reach and figure out. A strategy that the group ended up using very often was having Elma and Sarin in the center with the other three surrounding them and fending off the dungeon¡¯s monsters¡ªrun-of-the-mill goblins, bats, and slimes. When she first saw the monsters, Elma was shocked. Nochfall Maya did not have those types. She was happy, however, that her shock didn¡¯t give her away. For all their efforts, the group had already found twelve pieces of treasure. From what Elma could tell, they weren¡¯t too impressive, so they likely weren¡¯t the critical pieces. Elma, herself, had been given two items, a staff that helped with magic casting and a decorated dagger. The staff was a surprise, but she was very happy to have been given the weapon she thought she could excel with. ¡°So, Miss Elma,¡± Sarin said, ¡°what are your plans after the festival?¡± ¡°Yeah! At this rate, you¡¯ll definitely be able to do something when you get out of here!¡± Harry followed. Elma smiled faintly as she thought of that place. ¡°Yeah... I plan to really establish myself... And maybe settle down in a safe place. I want to keep adventuring, but... I kind of want a safe place to rest my head...¡± ¡°A place to go back to,¡± Orlan replied. ¡°Yeah, Harry and I understand that.¡± He looked at Harry and wagged his chin at Elma. Harry nodded in understanding. ¡°Elma, if you want, Orlan and I wouldn¡¯t mind accompanying you to a safer country.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Iyohar said. ¡°This human-filled country isn¡¯t good for elves, much less dark elves. Getting these strong gentlemen to escort you out may be the best move.¡± Elma was touched, so much so that she almost cried. She still wasn¡¯t good at handling kindness. ¡°No...¡± She cracked a smile. ¡°I think I need to do this on my own... But if I¡¯m ever in the area again, I would certainly enjoy joining forces with you all.¡± Harry chuckled and looked at Sarin. ¡°Do you two think you¡¯d want to team up with us again sometime?¡± Sarin was bashful in her response. ¡°If you¡¯d have us, I would most certainly join.¡± ¡°Heh, we could become a festival party and explore whenever a dungeon pops up,¡± Orlan suggested. ¡°That sounds like a great idea!¡± Sarin said. ¡°Iyohar? We could do that, couldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I guess I could take a break from my busy schedule...¡± she playfully replied. That cold, stone-block chamber within the massive labyrinth was filled with warm laughs. Elma, as she enjoyed the atmosphere, hoped her new friends at the Hero Hub were getting along well without her. *** Elma''s Observation Log: Harry has a crush on Sarin, and Sarin, likewise on him. Despite that, he keeps staring at Iyohar. Orlan is much more mature. He keeps looking at a locket though. Iyohar has been eyeing me... She might either be suspicious or be trying to copy my ''magic.'' I saw Sarin praying for a bat she swatted down... She might have been crying too. Sarin''s also way too touchy. I may have seen Iyohar drooling when Sarin bent over... That may have been bad timing. They wouldn''t make a pervert a bodyguard, would they? Harry needs to work on his lance skills. He almost ran Sarin and I through. He was mere moments from Iyohar killing him. But then, Iyohar was mere moments from Orlan cutting through her heels with his ax... Thankfully everyone survived that terrible first hour. Incidentally, Orlan is very good at aiming for the heels. I''m beginning to think he''s actively trying to cut the tendons of every goblin he meets. Oh. I gave Sarin a stomach ache... I don''t think anyone''s noticed it was me. Elma''s Observation Log End Episode 007: Dorthaunzee Joins The Wait I wasn¡¯t feeling confident about sleeping. So, because of that, I went outside, hoping a walk around our barren land would cool me down. The moment I went outside and lifted my head, I saw a faint blue light near the . ¡°Dorthaunzee?¡± I walked over to who I was pretty sure was Dorthaunzee, and only stopped when I was a few steps away from her. ¡°Ahh...¡± The sight stole my breath. Dorthaunzee was kneeling before the Wishing Fountain and praying. Her lantern glow was soft but soothing¡ªI could feel my worries just burning away even. Then, I noticed something and couldn¡¯t help but focus in on it¡ªDorthaunzee had switched up her outfit. It was still a nun¡¯s habit... Except it was a sexy variant. Her cleavage was more exposed. Did she always have such giant hills protruding from her chest? She previously wore a choker, but now she was wearing a different one that was connected to some kind of harness undergarment... Why was a nun wearing such a sexy harness? The bottom portion of her habit also exposed her legs more. Gaps exposed the sides of her grey and full thighs. It looked like she was wearing thigh-high tights as well. ¡°Where did this outfit come from?¡± Dorthaunzee jumped. I realized my thoughts had slipped out when she did and immediately apologized. She waved my concern away and then looked at me with bright eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you... You were praying?¡± She nodded and then pointed up at her lantern. ¡°Oh, yeah, sure.¡± I stuck my hand out. ¡°Please. Mush me up.¡± She looked happy and opened the lantern. The glowing spores flew out and swirled around my hand until the cute mushroom popped out. I showed it to her and grinned. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m hooked up.¡± She patted the ground next to her, and I sat with her¡ªwhy not, right? Now that she was looking me straight in the eyes, I had to make sure I didn¡¯t linger too long on any of her danger zones. ¡°So, is your room comfortable?¡± I felt a wave of happiness as she nodded. ¡°So you¡¯re just out here because you wanted to pray? Oh, sorry. Was that insensitive of me?¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She shook her head, and a thought reached my consciousness¡ª ¡°I want to thank my Lord for my good fortunes.¡± ¡°Yeah... Makes sense...¡± She brought her hands together many times. ¡°Do you want to pray, too?¡± I waved my hand as I nervously chuckled. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t believe in god.¡± She cocked her head at me, and then I realized how stupid I had just sounded. ¡°Right... That doesn¡¯t really make sense now. I live with a former goddess in the form of Svilran... Guess I need to update my world view...¡± ¡°Why did you not believe in a Higher Power?¡± ¡°Before the Hero Hub, right?¡± She nodded and smiled with her eyes. ¡°Well, I just...¡± I tried not to recall those unpleasant, fragmented images from my early childhood. ¡°It just didn¡¯t make sense to believe in the God that a lot of people in my world talked about... Actually, do you want to know something funny?¡± She nodded, and I got a tinge of curiosity beamed into my head. I chuckled and continued. ¡°I did believe in the devil and demons... Wait, do you have that? Like an evil force that opposes your God?¡± Dorthaunzee bobbed her head from side to side and then showed me a ¡®more-or-less¡¯ hand gesture. ¡°Maybe not ¡®evil¡¯ but with different or opposite values,¡± she conveyed, or at least, I thought she did. That one was a little harder to interpret. It seemed like there was more nuance to it. ¡°Okay, well yeah. Demons, in our understanding, were just the worst. Anyway, I... believed in them. Actually, as a kid, I just thought that if demons existed, then their opposite, God and its forces, must have existed. But as I grew, I just¡ªit made more sense that God was dead. I mean, that was the only thing that made sense to me...¡± I chuckled and looked up at the sky. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure how to reconcile all of this. It looks like some form of deity existed after all... And now...¡± I sighed and then smiled at her. ¡°It is a lot. It was a lot.¡± Dorthaunzee scooched over to me and extended her hand toward me. ¡°Dorthaunzee?¡± She patted my head, and my cheeks ran hot. ¡°Take it one day at a time.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I will... Thank you...¡± I locked eyes with her for a moment and was reminded of the tentacles that had once burst out from them. ¡°Hey, Dorthaunzee, your tentacles¡±¡ªshe perked up¡ª¡°are they okay?¡± She nodded many times and then stared at me with kind eyes. Her hands were shaking, and a few moments later, she lunged for me. ¡°Dorthaunzee!?¡± She wrapped her arms around my side and pressed her face and chest against my arms. Her arms rattled like crazy as she did, but throughout it all, I only felt warmth. ¡°Thank you,¡± I was sure she conveyed. She separated from me and placed her hands on her lap. Then, she showed me the crown of her head as she bowed. She lifted her head before I could tell her she didn¡¯t need to bow. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be a great Hero,¡± I said, completely enamored with her. I looked at my hands and clasped them. ¡°Praying in front of the fountain couldn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± Her lantern twinkled brighter for a moment, and she excitedly hopped while on her knees. She oriented her body to face the fountain and clasped her hands. She kept her eyes on me¡ªshe was waiting for me to start. ¡°Hey, who should I pray to if I want better luck for Heroes? Do you have any suggestions?¡± She placed a hand on her chin and exaggeratedly¡ªand comically¡ªpondered. Then she clapped and pointed her slender finger at the sky. ¡°Pray to the Sky that touches all worlds. Pray for a sign.¡± ¡°Hmm, praying to a thing and not a god?¡± I chuckled and closed my eyes. ¡°I think that feels like a better shot.¡± I prayed with Dorthaunzee for what must have been twenty or so minutes, throwing all my desires up and into the sky. Episode 007: Dorthaunzee Joins The Wait Part 02 This room is so perfect. A perfect rectangle that the great Lord would surely bless. I can already imagine the great mouths of that holy savior opening along the walls. I cannot help but think that this is what paradise looks like. This is my paradise. Kingdom has come for me and I have stepped in. My savior¡ª I want my saviour to love me, to save me, to hold me fast, to take me in his arms and embrace me forever. My savior born of nightmares¡ªyour visage is deep within me, forever to shepherd me from the Eternal Darkness within me. Your darkness has delivered me from evil. Even when apart, your dark presence, the shadow of your absence, the darkness of your silence, is my shelter, my refuge. What would my savior love to see draped across my profane body? He, who walks the earth with a goddess worthy of the admiration of those who dream beneath moonlit nights, would not be so easily swayed. Look at me, My Savior! Pass your eyes over me and judge me. Take my every being into your mind as I have taken yours. My body years for your gaze. Quell the beast that roars within me. ¡­ Oh, these are cute! But cute is not enough. I must steal his gaze and set his passions ablaze. I must recall my Lord¡ªa beacon of divine beauty. But no! I am not so bold to think I could exist as my Lord does¡­ But this outfit will get me close enough. ¡­ I reveal the skin I was born with, the skin that My Lord and Savior saved. This skin is a gift to me and a gift to the world¡ªoh, my, this is comfortable! These robes match the comfort of My Lord, they are the pillow beneath my head, the blanket around my shoulders. There is no frigid breeze that would blow and shake me, for I am covered and I am hot. They awaken my passions¡ª The image of my savior quells you. Ahem. I love this outfit. How perfectly it wraps around my body. Dear Hero Hub, my paradise and my shelter, thank you for clothing me so appropriately. I live to serve you. I live to serve my Lord, and I live to serve the people. Take from me all that you desire, for I offer you the flesh of my heart and the blood of my soul. The image of my savior quells you. I believe I should pray, and thank My Lord for my good fortune. Bless you, Hero Hub. Bless you, my dear room, bless you, my clothing¡ª The image of my savior quells you. ¡­ .. . ¡°Where did this outfit come from?¡± Hark! Where did my savior come from¡ªblessed be this wretched soul that strives to be a little less worthless with every day. No, My Savior, please do not be so concerned. Behold me and take me in¡ªI have prepared myself for you. My hands are folded in prayer, my mouth is closed, my lips are sealed. No matter what you may wish to stay prisoner to starry nights, I will oblige. Am I not good enough? ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bother you... You were praying?¡± No, you were not a bother at all¡ªyou are a surprise most delightful. Please, commune with me so that we may tear down our boundaries. I long to speak with you truly, please, allow me this. I wish for you to know me. ¡°Oh, yeah, sure. Please. Mush me up.¡± My soul is alit. I will ¡®mush you up¡¯ however many times you desire, you wondrous queller of darkness. The more the Eternal Darkness recedes, the more joy returns. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m hooked up.¡± That smile¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a smile more intoxicating. ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö take the reins, for I fear I may indulge in sin. My desire is an ocean, and I have no regard for the stones that have been tied to my ankles. My Lord, be my witness¡ªI am not afraid. I will jump into that ocean and let it swallow me whole. You will see me with a smile when you cast your gaze upon me. The water will not refract nor distort the sign of my happiness. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. There. I did it. I¡¯ve invited him. Sit beside me, My Savior. I will devote to you all my attention. Enrapture me¡ªI¡¯m right here, ready and willing to be taken up on high. Please look at me; am I not to your liking? ¡°So, is your room comfortable?¡± This visage of terror cares for my comfort. Praise! Thank you! I could never have thought¡ªthis is a dream so sweet I refrained from ever holding it lest my mind rot. Yes, my room is beautiful, second only to your grace! ¡°So you¡¯re just out here because you wanted to pray? Oh, sorry. Was that insensitive of me?¡± Oh, heavens know that is not true. Perish the thought! Kill it, My Savior! Do not let it chain you! You find me here because I want to thank my Lord for my good fortunes. My heart is being pulled in all directions but I am not so despicable that I could turn from She who Shepherds at the sight of a¡­ amazing¡­ terror¡­ ¡°Yeah... Makes sense...¡± He has accepted me. Glory to the highest. I could cry. Thank you for saving me, your most useless servant. Glory, glory, glory! I will pray for as many times as I can¡­ But perhaps it would be rude? Perhaps you should have an opportunity to greet My Lord too? Do you want to pray too? ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t believe in god.¡± What? Do you not believe in yourself? Such a wondrous person has such a weakness? No, that cannot be¡­ ¡°Right... That doesn¡¯t really make sense now. I live with a former goddess in the form of Svilran... Guess I need to update my world view...¡± You were not always you? You mean to say you grew into this disposition and are still growing? My curiosity¡ªI wish to quell it. Why did you not believe in a higher power? ¡°Before the Hero Hub, right?¡± Paint for me the time before¡ªI wish to study it so intently the embers of focus light the painting and reveal its hidden secrets. ¡°Well, I just... It just didn¡¯t make sense to believe in the God that a lot of people in my world talked about... Actually, do you want to know something funny?¡± This is something sacred¡ªsomething critical to the story of you and I¡­ Please, I would like to hear it. ¡°I did believe in the devil and demons... Wait, do you have that? Like an evil force that opposes your God?¡± My Lord? You are so interested? Well, an ¡®evil force''?¡¯ It¡¯s hard to describe my Lord¡¯s contemporaries as evil. Maybe not ¡®evil¡¯ but with different or opposite values¡ªthose others. They are those who must defend other existences. When conflict arises, it is a consequence as natural as the boulder that falls from the eroding cliff. ¡°Okay, well yeah. Demons, in our understanding, were just the worst. Anyway, I... believed in them. Actually, as a kid, I just thought that if demons existed, then their opposite, God and its forces, must have existed. But as I grew, I just--it made more sense that God was dead. I mean, that was the only thing that made sense to me...¡± What is he speaking of? To believe in evil so strongly that it proves the existence of divinity? How terrible must your surroundings have been to create such a winding road to the acknowledgment of greater powers? No, this is painful¡ªI cannot stay still. Strike me down now if this is so wrong¡­ You are the only person I can do this for. ¡°Dorthaunzee?¡± Take it one day at a time. ¡°I will... Thank you...Hey, Dorthaunzee, your tentacles¡ª¡± The Eternal Darkness? Are you concerned? ¡°¡ªare they okay?¡± Bless. Bless. Bless. Am I in a phantasmagoria? Does someone truly care for me? Someone from the world beneath the stars? I¡ªI cannot bring myself to believe this kindness¡ªno, I cannot¡ªMy Lord, it is true. I could truly find someone so good. ¡°Dorthaunzee!?¡± Thank you! A hundred times, thank you! I will thank you until the night the final star goes out. You do not know how much freedom your visage has afforded me. Please, ravage my mind and body¡ªravage me for as long as you care to! I do not care for how much I fear you! Thank you! I will stay by your side as your Hero! Please do not lose faith! This is my pledge to you. In return for all that you have afforded me, I will do my best. That is my pledge¡ªthe second pledge I have made in this short life of mine. ¡°Praying in front of the fountain couldn¡¯t hurt, right?¡± It most certainly could not! Come, find hope and strength with me! I so want to envelop myself in your glory, but I can see that what you need is not this distraction. No, let¡¯s cast our wishes into the world. ¡°Hey, who should I pray to if I want better luck for Heroes? Do you have any suggestions?¡± Who should a god pray to? What is higher than a god? Ahh, of course. It is there, the thing that houses god¡ªthe thing that even god looks up to. Pray to the Sky that touches all worlds. Pray for a sign from that sky, that a star may illuminate the way. ¡°Hmm, praying to a thing and not a god? I think that feels like a better shot.¡± Maybe that is why you could not find your god¡ªperhaps you were always yourself, searching for yourself, but unable to see it¡­ Let us throw our desires into the sky, all those perverse feelings, and all those feelings of doubt. We are here beneath this starry sky. The Stars in the heavens radiate their glory and lead our eyes as we stand on the edge of the world, staring out into their vast realm. Our minds are open to all that might be, and our hearts yearning for what is yet to come; I wholeheartedly pray that your way is illuminated. Episode 007: Dorthaunzee Joins The Wait Part 03 [IMAGE] I opened my eyes. I was in my bed and¡ªstrangely enough¡ªwas not covered in sweat. ¡°After Dorthaunzee... I decided to give sleep another go...¡± I cracked a smile. ¡°I think you were enough to keep the nightmares away, Miss Nun.¡± A nightmare-less sleep, even though no one was nearby, was truly a surprise. It was such a surprise I launched out of bed with a pep in my step. ¡°I wonder what life has in store for us today.¡± I chuckled as I thought about Dorthaunzee¡¯s outfit. ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s still going to wear that... Stupid Fainn; don¡¯t be so easily smitten.¡± I pretended like I was talking to someone else. ¡°Can you blame me? I haven¡¯t been so near visions of beauty in years.¡± Ahh, if Svilran saw me being so cheery, she would be weirded out. I had to make sure I got it all out. I went to the closet, pulled out a towel, and marched out of my room with a stupid smile on my face. ¡°Hmm, Svilran isn¡¯t around...¡± We didn¡¯t really have household chores to do, but I was half-expecting her to be doing something. Maybe she was still sleeping. I shrugged and happily marched to the bathroom. I put my hand on the knob and turned it... On the other side was nothing but an immaculate bathroom. ¡°It¡¯s so nice that we have such well-stocked facilities.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Going from muddy puddles to luxury is still so jarring, though.¡± I started peeling off my clothes, utterly excited to jump into the warm stream of a shower. ¡°God, I shouldn¡¯t be so excited.¡± I was down to my boxers when I suddenly heard the knob on the door turn. My body froze up. The door opened, and in came the former goddess humming a tune. ¡°Hmm, hmm, off to shower?. Hmm, hmm, going to have a great day ?.¡± She opened her eyes, and everything came to a stop. She was in nothing but a white towel that was about to slip off... Scratch that. It just fell off. I was frozen. My eyes were on the pink nubs that accented her breast. Her eyes were on me. They went down toward my lower region. Damn it. It was awake too. She went red, and her nubs stood erect. I committed to straight-faced stare her down. She was weak. She was breaking. Her lips were quivering as the heat in her head built. A squeal broke the tension. ¡°I¡¯M SO SORRY!¡± she screamed as she ran out of the bathroom. I walked up to the door quietly. I closed the door, left it unlocked, peeled off my boxers, and went to the shower. I closed my eyes, and there they were¡ªnothing but pink-accented hills. I turned on the shower and let the water fall on me. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Cold showers aren¡¯t so bad either.¡± Yup. I was in bliss. Thankfully, Svilran wasn¡¯t around to see my goofy smile. *** One hour later, at the ¡­ Elma was on the monitor, my hand was on a dial, and my eye was glued to the eyepiece. ¡°I wonder if Svilran is better at driving this thing because of some god power,¡± I wondered. ¡°Hope she shows up soon...¡± The door flew open and in came Svilran, belting out some out-of-key tune. ¡°Off to work, la, la, la ?,¡± she sang. ¡°Everything is completely okay, la, la, la ?.¡± ¡°Oh good,¡± I said, ignoring her nervous energy. ¡°Hey, can you take over for me? I¡¯m not doing well here.¡± ¡°Of course I can!¡± she yelled, her voice harsh and shrill. ¡°Svilran, please don¡¯t yell,¡± I groaned. I shifted to the chair next to the telescope¡¯s observation seat and focused on the monitor. ¡°I¡¯m so grateful we can track Elma on the monitor while doing other things.¡± Svilran marched up the platform¡¯s steps and abruptly sat in the observation seat. ¡°I¡¯m ready to work!¡± Before she stuck her eye to the eyepiece, the door flew open again, and in walked Dorthaunzee with child-like wonder in her eye. ¡°Hey, Dorthaunzee,¡± I said, strangely aware of her without looking her way. Svilran, meanwhile, shot up from her seat. ¡°Good morning, Dorthaunzee!¡± she yelled. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Dorthaunzee! I should have gone to your room first to check on you¡ªmy head was just all over the place!¡± I glanced over my shoulder in time to see Dorthaunzee climb the steps of the telescope¡¯s platform and pat Svilran¡¯s head... I was a little jealous. ¡°Did you sleep well, Dorthaunzee?¡± Our lovely nun nodded and smiled with her eyes. I lifted my hand in response, and she got the message. She opened her lantern and stuck me with her mushroom. ¡°I slept well too.¡± I shot her an appreciative smile. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sure you helped me.¡± I could have sworn her cheeks went a little pink as she franticly shook her head. The feelings she was conveying were a little hard to describe. I felt flustered even. ¡°Hold on...¡± Svilran gasped as she realized what Dorthaunzee was wearing. ¡°Dorthaunzee! Where did you get that outfit and those accessories?!¡± Dorthaunzee, as innocent as she was sweet, drew the outline of a house in the air with her fingers. ¡°She got them from her room,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t think the clothes were so tailored to the occupants.¡± ¡°D-Dorthaunzee, are you sure you¡¯re comfortable in that outfit... It just seems... a little revealing, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I glanced at Svilran¡¯s cleavage and the maid¡¯s outfit that was practically struggling to stay together. ¡°Says the former goddess in a sexy maid outfit¡ª¡° ¡°It is not a sexy maid outfit! It¡¯s a cute maid outfit!¡± Svilran frantically shot back. I glanced back at the monitor. ¡°Svilran, I feel like anything you wear is forcibly made sexy.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± she whimpered. ¡°Heck, you could probably wear a fur suit and still make it unreasonably erotic¡ª¡° ¡°NOOO!¡± Svilran, consumed by embarrassment, pushed my head into the monitor and squished my face against the screen. ¡°Don¡¯t use that word, Fainn! I¡¯m an innocent and cute facilitator!¡± ¡°SVILRAAAN! You¡¯re squishing my nose!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± She suddenly stopped applying pressure against the back of my head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I fell forward and onto the cold, hard floor, groaning and hurting as I struggled to get on my knees. ¡°Oww, my nose,¡± I said as I rubbed it. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Fainn.¡± Before I could reply, Dorthaunzee dropped to her knees next to me and raised her hands before my face. My eyes widened, and I cracked a smile. ¡°No way¡ªdon¡¯t tell me¡ª¡° Blue, soothing light came from her hands and bathed my nose. ¡°You have healing magic, Dorthaunzee!¡± I happily declared. ¡°Oh my!¡± Svilran, this airhead former goddess, leaned in over me, resting her breast on my back as she watched the magic. ¡°Svilran¡ª¡° ¡°What powerful magic, Dorthaunzee!¡± Dorthaunzee radiated happiness. Meanwhile, Svilran¡¯s breasts once more sent tingles into my body. I was being attacked from multiple sides here. Then, something happened¡ªI felt Svilran¡¯s... buttons poking me back. Then, I did something stupid¡ªI recalled what they looked like. ¡°Okay!¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m feeling great now!¡± Dorthaunzee heard me and got up happily. As she did, so did Svilran, who then ran next to her, grabbed Dorthaunzee¡¯s hands and jumped and down with the gleeful nun. ¡°Hmm? Fainn?¡± Svilran asked. ¡°Are you okay? Why are you still on the floor?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know, Dorthaunzee¡¯s healing magic was just sooo relaxing... Yeah, let me just enjoy the afterglow.¡± Svilran didn¡¯t need to know I was too worked up again¡­ I was just going to ride this out for a minute or two. Episode 007: Dorthaunzee Joins The Wait Part 04 [IMAGE] ¡°So, yeah,¡± I pointed at the mission screen we had brought up for Dorth to see. ¡°Because you¡¯re similar to Elma, the nine worlds she could go to are worlds you can visit too.¡± Dorthaunzee nodded and scribbled something on the notepad she had brought. ¡°So, we have nine worlds, but we only have twelve missions available,¡± Svilran said. ¡°That¡¯s not to say these worlds are having little trouble. Missions have ranks, and to gain access to higher rank missions, we need to increase our own rank.¡± ¡°Oh. I missed that detail,¡± I said. ¡°Svilran, what¡¯s it looking like right now?¡± ¡°Right now, we can only take on Auxiliary Missions from Ranks F, E and D. Incidentally, we only have E and D Auxiliary Missions.¡± ¡°Noted. Anyway, Dorth, we¡¯ve got a few here we think you could do.¡± ¡°Yeah! You would be great for any one that needs magic!¡± Svilran squealed¡ªshe could barely contain herself. ¡°Just imagine it! One day, we¡¯ll be able to send Dorthaunzee on her own Heroic Missions where she can go and heal people! Oh, Dorthaunzee¡ªyou would be a vision of grace and kindness for so many!¡¯ Svilran giggled like a dope with her head in the clouds. Dorthaunzee and I shared a glance, but we both thought Svilran was adorable. ¡°Anyway, Dorthaunzee,¡± I said, ¡°one of the missions needs a caster, and you could probably help with the monster-slaying... Are you good at making magic items?¡± Dorthaunzee shrugged. ¡°Alright, good to know... Would be nice if we had more things to do... Want to learn how to drive the telescope?¡± Dorthaunzee clapped with delight. I started showing her how to use the telescope while Svilran kept absentmindedly giggling to herself. I glanced over the shoulder at her when I noticed Dorthaunzee was feeling perplexed. ¡°She¡¯s having a weird day, Dorth.¡± *** Hours later, ¡ª ¡°Dorthaunzee, you found another one?¡± Svilran excitedly wrote down the calibration settings and bearings. ¡°Okay, just keep it there for another few minutes. There are many dials I have to record here...¡± ¡°Can I peek again, Dorthaunzee?¡± I asked. Dorthaunzee let me look through the eyepiece, and I got to see the 23rd world she found for the day. ¡°Oh wow,¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°Hey, Svilran, this world has sky islands, but they¡¯re floating in some kind of dark void! Wow, it looks so dreary!¡± Dorthaunzee quickly bopped me on the head and wagged her finger at me. ¡°Oh, sorry. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re beautiful in their own way.¡± Dorthaunzee was happy again, and so was I. As it turned out, Dorthaunzee was the type of person that tried to see the value in everything. It was an extremely charming trait. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Svilran made a note on a whiteboard that we pulled out from the storage space. ¡°Okay, so Dorthaunzee has found 23 worlds. I¡¯ve found 11, and you¡¯ve found 4, Fainn.¡± Dorthaunzee and I grinned at each other. ¡°I¡¯m just not as good at driving telescopes.¡± ¡°Honestly, even I¡¯m shocked at how good Dorthaunzee is!¡± Svilran said. ¡°It¡¯s too bad we haven¡¯t found any missions or heroes.¡± I pressed the button that let us scan a world for a Hero. ¡°Yup. Nothing.¡± ¡°Well, we can¡¯t expect possible Heroes to be dying every single second. Still, we can check every day now.¡± I sighed. ¡°I wish we could look at the civilizations the worlds had, though.¡± What I was referring to was one of the difficult aspects of using the telescope. When we found a world, changing the settings by even a smidgen would cause us to lose the world. The telescope just wasn¡¯t... precise enough without a hero for the telescope to home in on. The dials¡ªthey let us jump from 1.0 to 2.0, for example. However, this was a case where we needed the precision to be able to go from 1.0 to 1.0007435, for example. There were over a dozen knobs and switches too, and they ALL needed that degree of precision. Not even Dorthaunzee¡¯s unexpected talent could give us the precision we needed to really visually inspect a world. Svilran and I hoped we would be able to get what we needed through upgrades. Thank goodness for Elma, though. She was really the only thing allowing us to actually inspect another world in detail, thanks to the telescope locking in on her. ¡°Oh, we should put a star next to our favorite worlds,¡± Svilran said. ¡°I¡¯ll go first! I liked this one, the world with all the mushrooms! They were just so colorful, and they all looked so bouncy!¡± ¡°I feel like you just picked a world with poison around every corner as your favorite,¡± I quipped. ¡°I didn¡¯t! Since when does colorful mean poisonous?¡± In my head, I dug up many examples from Earth. Wasn¡¯t going to tell her, though. This would pay off eventually. ¡°Which one was your favorite, Fainn?¡± ¡°I really liked the the world with the beach and all the giant coral that stuck out of the water.¡± Svilran and Dorthaunzee clapped. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s my second favorite!¡± Svilran said. ¡°Yeah. I grew up in the mountains, so I never really got to see the ocean myself.¡± I had another reason for liking that world¡ªit made me dream of lying on the sand with bikini-clad babes nearby. That wouldn¡¯t be so bad, right? Even admiring from afar would be nice. I glanced at Dorth and figured I should go for it. ¡°It really makes me think I¡¯d like to have a pool built here.¡± Svilran cocked her head. ¡°A pool?¡± ¡°Yeah. Imagine how much fun Heroes could have diving into a big pool and splashing around.¡± Svilran still looked a little pensive. ¡°If we had a swimming pool, you could wear cute, frilly swimsuits and bring along colorful balls and floats.¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re right!¡± Svilran sang. She opened up the Build Menu and pouted when she learned what I, myself, had learned an hour earlier. ¡°There¡¯s no pool!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope we can unlock it later. We need recreation facilities, dammit.¡± ¡°I completely agreed.¡± Dorthaunzee nodded too. Bikini, wet t-shorts, and irreplaceable poolside memories¡ªall that was standing between me and that was time. And the Hero Hub¡¯s systems, I guess. Though, if it came down to it, I was willing to find a shovel and build it myself. ¡°Hey, Dorthaunzee,¡± I said. ¡°Which one was your favorite?¡± She held up the number ¡®three¡¯ with her fingers. ¡°Hmm... That was the one where it was raining light, right?¡± She nodded thrice and happily swayed from side to side. I looked at Svilran. ¡°That one kind of had a mystical feel to it, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I certainly thought so.¡± A sigh escaped my lips. ¡°Well. I hope you¡¯ll get the chance to explore those worlds someday, Dorthaunzee.¡± Dorthaunzee cocked her head and pointed at me. ¡°No, Svilran and I can¡¯t leave the Hub.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Svilran followed. ¡°At least, we can¡¯t do so right now. We¡¯re unsure if we¡¯ll ever have that capability.¡± ¡°Which is fine,¡± I said, cutting off that little tinge of sadness I felt from Dorthaunzee. ¡°We¡¯ve got our responsibilities here now.¡± Reminding myself of my responsibilities, I glanced at the monitor. ¡°Hmm?¡± I shifted seats and peered closer. ¡°Whoa, this looks dangerous!¡± Dorthaunzee and Svilran quickly crowded around me. On the screen was Elma and the party in the center of a giant revolving swarm of rune-inscribed bats. Episode 007: Dorthaunzee Joins The Wait Part 05 "Elma!" Svilran screamed, almost bursting my eardrums. "No, wait, Fainn! Look! She has one of her hands flying around!" "What? Where? I can''t see." Svilran reached across me and touched a dial on the monitor, thus changing the point-of-view. "There, see it?" "Thanks... Yeah... Is she chasing something... Oh, there''s a bat with a different glow to it. And her hand''s flying after it!" On screen, Elma and the party were in a tough spot. The boys of the party were batting bats away while the spellcaster lobbed bolts of lightning that would then arc through a few bats upon making contact. Some dainty girl next to Elma was applying magic to the boys too. She must have been a healer. The party was shouting. Elma herself looked fiercely determined. We looked on as magic energy surged out from her arms and out into the swarm. "Hey, Elma can''t pump out that much magic, can she?" I asked. "Maybe she gained something over there?" Svilran followed. The bats that were hit by her magic fell, and the rest that flew into the surge seemed to slow down and falter. "That mana''s poisonous to everything that lives... Hope that party will be okay," I whispered. "There, Fainn! She''s so close!" Her hand was flying so close to the rune bat. Just a few centimeters. "Go, Elma! Overcome your limits!" Svilran cheered. Beside her, Dorthaunzee jumped and mimed her cheers too. In the next moment, Elma''s hand flew a bit faster, and she caught the bat. The moment she did, the party rushed through and out of the swarm. They reached a door on the other side of the swarm, and Elma pushed the bat into the door. Magic flowed from the bat as grooves in the door were filled, and it opened. One of the boys started hollering, and every other member ran through as this bigger one kept batting bats away. As soon as the last member was through, he crossed and shut the door behind them. Good man. Was he the Hero? He was certainly deserving of the title. As the party fell on their rumps, relieved, we chattered and cheered. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Did you see that, Fainn? Our Elma was the MVP!" Dorthaunzee clapped wildly, and I laughed. "Yeah, she was pretty slick! Oh, those guys are so lucky to have her! Almost as lucky as we are!" The three of us watched with enthusiasm as the party crossed one final hallway and entered some kind of treasure room. There were five stone statues, each of them slightly different than the other, and each also holding some colorful piece of gear or weapon. "Svilran, what are the chances that one of the Mission treasures is in that chamber?" "I don''t know, but I hope it''s there. I miss Elma." The party celebrated, but Elma cut it short. Instead of letting them walk to the statues, Elma sent her hands out and took the treasures from the statues one by one. Her caution was rewarded. One of the statues swung at the air after the shield it was holding was taken, and another just came to life and attacked the party once the final treasure was removed. "Heh, they owe her," I smugly said. "Yup. Elma''s on a whole other level." Svilran nodded beside me, also smugly holding her chin. "Yup. She''s a godsent miracle, truly." Dorthaunzee swayed from side to side as she cheerfully nodded too. The resulting battle wasn''t too nail-biting. Elma''s caution gave the boys and the caster the time they needed to prepare. The group coordinated their attacks without a problem, and they took down the last enemy. It looked like Elma''s magic wasn''t super useful against an automaton, but she had been slashing at it with some dagger she had, so she still contributed. The mage of the group also enchanted the dagger with fire, ensuring Elma could still be helpful. By the end of it¡ª "Fainn, we got the alert!" "Nice! One of the treasures was valid!" ¡ªElma had completed the Mission. One of the treasures was the critical treasures that would help the Hero. "Come on, Fainn!" Svilran said as she pulled Dorth along with her. "Coming!" I happily called, following Svilran out the door. *** One Hour Later... Portal Site... "So... Where''s Elma?" I asked as I stared at the Portal. "I don''t know... The Mission has been marked as completed." "Did we have to press a button to recall her or something?" "Not that I can see..." As Svilran and I inspected the Mission Menu once more, the Portal shimmered and swirled. "I''m back~" Elma said, proudly strutting out with a cloak draped on her shoulders and a staff strapped to her back. Svilran and I looked at her in unison. "ELMA!" She grinned at us. "It''s good to see you again, Madam Goddess. Fainn." Elma looked past us and smirked at the third member of our group. "And who is this?" "Oh!" Svilran said, jumping with joy. "Elma, this is our new Hero! Dorthaunzee!" Dorthaunzee politely bowed, and Elma greeted her. "It''s nice to meet you. I''m Elma." She shifted her gaze toward me. "I thought we couldn''t summon more Heroes right now." Before I could say anything, Svilran excitedly jerked me back so hard I almost fell. Thank god Dorth was there to catch me with her soft hands and chest... I wasn''t going to say anything about the chest, but I got the sense that Dorthaunzee''s heart was racing... It must have been my overactive imagination though. "You won''t believe what happened, Elma!" Svilran took Elma by the hand and pulled her along. "Come on, come on! I''ll tell you all about it!" Episode 007: Dorthaunzee Joins The Wait Part 06 We were sitting around our dinner table, and Svilran had just finished running Elma through everything that happened and the nature of Dorthaunzee¡¯s existence... She didn¡¯t do the best job of explaining my powers, but she conveyed how scary I was. ¡°Wow,¡± Elma said as she reclined in her seat. ¡°That was... unexpected.¡± She smirked at me. ¡°Though, I must say... A power like that? It¡¯s worthy of your station.¡± ¡°Oh stop, you¡¯ll make me blush,¡± I joked back. ¡°Would you mind showing it to me sometime?¡± ¡°No. Not really?¡± Elma pouted. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not very fair.¡± Svilran clapped and got our attention. ¡°Alright, everyone. We caught Elma up. Now, we should officially finish up her first Mission by doing this!¡± Svilran made a screen appear for all of us to read. *** After-Mission Report Hero: Elma Merit Earned (Completion): 50 Rest Days Earned: 2 days Hero Hub Points Breakdown Hero Multiplier: 1x E-Rank Mission Reward: 50 Bonus: 0 Total: 50 *** ¡°So, to summarize, Elma earned 50 Points of Heroic Merit. At the moment, we have no facilities that can make use of it, so we have no way to interact with this currency. Also, all Auxiliary Missions will give 50 points of Heroic Merit at base. Next, for the Hero Hub, when it says ¡®50,¡¯ it means we received 50 points for ALL of our categories. Build, Resource, etcetera.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± I almost fell out of my seat. ¡°That¡¯s great! With just one Mission, we can do so much!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, Fainn. I think the system is like that because of how long it takes to complete missions. We¡¯ll probably be back to a bottleneck in a few days.¡± I groaned. ¡°God, please, no. We¡¯ll have to be smart with what we do...¡± I glanced over at Elma and smirked. ¡°Still, we owe you. You did great... You also got stuff, huh?¡± ¡°I did,¡± Elma said, tucking her hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m quite happy with a lot of what I got¡ª¡° Before Elma could pull out her possessions, Svilran stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. We have a Menu that will just tell us the critical information.¡± Svilran brought it up once more for all of us to read. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. *** Claimed Possessions Report Common Daggers x6 Common Dagger Holster Rare Jeweled Dagger Rare Staff of the Initiate Ultra Rare Blueprint ... *** ¡°Huh?¡± Elma sounded feeble. ¡°A blueprint? But I brought back one of the treasures the group let me keep...¡± ¡°Oh, Elma, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Svilran said. ¡°That treasure was probably illegal. We can¡¯t claim items that are too entangled with the world. It seems, however, that you¡¯re given this blueprint as compensation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± I said, looking at the Build Menu. ¡°We just unlocked a new kind of Building. The Ultra Rare .¡± Svilran opened her version of the menu and was astounded. ¡°Oh my... This is quite involved...¡± She looked at me and nervously chuckled. ¡°I guess this is a goal we can work towards...¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± To put it simply, this workshop would allow us to use a blueprint to create the accessory described. The catch that we could read right now was that we would need specific resources in order to create the pieces. ¡°It looks like once we have this, we¡¯ll open up a whole new crafting system... It also looks that by unlocking the Ultra Rare version, we got the lesser rarities too... We¡¯ve got the Rare and the rare . So, just like the UR, we can use resources to build stuff...¡± ¡°Fainn, I have a feeling there¡¯s going to be more to it once we build it.¡± ¡°I completely agree.¡± I smiled at Elma. ¡°What a fruitful mission, huh?¡± Elma nibbled on the piece of watermelon we had out. ¡°Certainly, and in more ways than one...¡± Elma rubbed her wrist. ¡°There were many auxiliary chambers we found... One of them had a rare treasure that helped unlock someone¡¯s magic potential.¡± ¡°Is that why your mana was surging? With the bats?¡± I asked. Elma looked at me, surprised. ¡°You saw that?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± I replied. Next to me, Dorthaunzee made expressive gestures as if she was mimicking the surging magic. ¡°I was blown away!¡± I continued. ¡°It¡¯s so cool that you really gained something from that Mission.¡± Elma giggled and nodded. ¡°Yes. I gained a little more control over my magic and became acquainted with some reserves I didn¡¯t realize I had... What¡¯s very relieving is that it doesn¡¯t impair my day-to-day living. I was a little worried I would make you all ill faster than usual, but I was able to stay with the party without too much trouble.¡± ¡°Well, I, for one, am feeling well,¡± I said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Svilran followed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about the plants in the Hero Hub, either. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be hurting them any time soon!¡± Elma smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m glad... Hey, Dorthaunzee?¡± Dorthaunzee perked up and smiled with her eyes. Elma picked up the staff she had placed down next to her seat and handed it to Dorth. ¡°Do you want this? I¡¯m not really a staff-type.¡± Dorthaunzee¡¯s eyes lit up. If Elma was connected by shroom, she would have felt that unreal joy. Dorth nodded many times and excitedly received the staff. The lantern over her head glowed brighter for the entire time Dorthaunzee rubbed her cheeks against the staff. ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s cute,¡± Elma said, hiding her mouth. ¡°So, Elma, what¡¯s the plan?¡± I asked. ¡°You earned two rest days. We¡¯ve got a ton of melons waiting for you.¡± She shot me a charming smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± And then she loosened up as she fiddled with the watermelon rind. ¡°I would like to take a small break, and then I want to go and foil that assassination.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Svilran chirped. ¡°I recall that Mission. Let me bring it up.¡± ¡°You think you can handle it?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I can. I got a good sense of my capabilities from my previous Mission. With these parameters and my previous knowledge, I think I can do it.¡± She took a breath and looked me straight in the eyes. ¡°I can save the Hero.¡± ¡°I love the confidence.¡± My heart was buzzing just from seeing this strong woman. ¡°Is this you? Or is Svilran helping you?¡± ¡°I pray with all my heart that it¡¯s me.¡± I closed my eyes as I took a sip of water. ¡°I hope for the same.¡± ¡°F-Fainn,¡± Svilran whimpered. I cracked an eye open and glanced at her. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± She looked at me, as pale as a ghost. ¡°That Mission has a timer now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I asked. Elma shot up from her seat, her eyes fixed on Svilran. She was way ahead of me in understanding what was going to happen. Svilran gulped. ¡°Fainn, that Hero is going to die within three hours...¡± Episode 008: Save the Hero Special Mission Request Addendum Please, someone, anyone, please, save Rodan! The nobles of the kingdom have conspired against him and have sent a dangerous assassin after him. They¡¯ve concocted a plot that will find him separated from his companions in the slums. He will die tonight if nothing is done! Please! Someone! Please, I can¡¯t let Rodan die! The perpetrators¡ªthey ar¡ª *** At the , frantic and anxious¡ª I slammed the telescope¡¯s console. ¡°There¡¯s a character limit? Why did gods take the most annoying features of social media? And why didn¡¯t this woman give us actual information instead of repeating herself?!¡± ¡°Fainn! Be kind! It¡¯s not like she had a keyboard she could type her message into! That was the cry of her heart! Not the speech of her mind!¡± Svilran yelled as she squeezed my shoulder. ¡°Transmitting information from another world takes A LOT of that deity¡¯s energy. If the messages were any longer, there would be disastrous consequences. Even the goddess whose wish reached us may have lost many years of her life.¡± I swung my head so fast my vertebrae cracked. ¡°Whoa, really?! She lost years for that?!¡± ¡°Yes! She was prepared to sacrifice herself in order to save the hero! This isn¡¯t something to be taken likely. Everything people do outside of the ordinary process has a price! That¡¯s what makes these lives meaningful! And this poor goddess¡ª¡° Svilran sniffed loudly as she tried and failed to hold back tears. ¡°She begged and pleaded. I can feel it in this message. She¡¯s casting this wish into the cosmos with all her strength. We might be the only ones who could hear it...¡± I looked at the Mission Screen and at the new section¡ªthe Special Request section. This section came to be when the wish of an actual being reached us. As Svilran said, this was ¡®out of the ordinary.¡¯ We had the systems to receive it, but it was not something we could always expect. On our side, it seemed the character limit was done to prevent the world in need of help from self-destructing by wasting energy. This was also the relatively trippy part¡ªfrom what I understood, the Special Request section on our end existed to regulate a god¡¯s ability to wish... I got the sense that without us to receive the message, things would turn out nicely for the Imaginal World... At the time, I had many questions about how the Hero Hub could become a regulating body, but Svilran was too concerned with the matter at hand. Anyway, we also had a timer that told us when the Mission would fail now... Neither Svilran nor I knew why exactly the timer appeared. We wanted to think the goddess¡¯s wish led to it, but we were flying blind here, like always. Regardless, as the situation stood, the goddess¡¯s wish reached our Mission Menu and caused a change. The Hero¡¯s life was in imminent danger, and now, Svilran and I could only watch. *** Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The Hero, Rodan Within the world named Srellus, exists a kingdom¡ªLuxoria. Here, on this night, a nefarious plot was afoot. The Anti-Royalist Terror group, Sons of Libus, had long been embroiled in a bloody conflict with the said kingdom. The Hero Chosen by the Goddess, Rodan Herner, and his party caught word of an impending attack by the Sons of Libus. Magic explosives were set in many locations around the kingdom¡¯s densely populated slums. An apparent turncoat of the Sons of Libus was the one who brought the information to Rodan¡¯s group before succumbing to his wounds. Desperate to foil the wicked plans, Rodan and his party split up, and with the help of the kingdom¡¯s archmage, each set off with the magic formula required to diffuse the magically set explosives. Now, Rodan was face to face with the complex magic circle that would soon go off. He applied the counter formula as instructed and successfully neutralized the hidden explosive in the secluded alley. ¡°Whew¡±, said Rodan as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The blond and bright-eyed, handsome young man finally breathed a sigh of relief. He got up from his crouch and stretched. He wasn¡¯t very armored, having run to the slums in just his under-gear¡ªa black steel-silk shirt and reinforced trousers. His holy sword hung on his hips, but that was all he had to defend himself with should something go wrong. Unfortunately for him¡ª ¡°Hehehe, good job, Hero~¡± ¡ªtrouble was waiting for him. Rodan turned and pulled out his sword. He pointed it at the hooded figure wearing the oily black light armor. The newcomer¡¯s hands were free, but an obsidian-black shield was strapped to his left arm. ¡°Who are you? A Son of Libus?¡± Rodan asked. ¡°Mercy, no. Those boys are only good for taking the blame. Me?¡± The figure grabbed the top of his hood. ¡°I¡¯m much worse.¡± He knocked the hood back to reveal wet long black hair with green tips. His face was pale, and his black lips were striking. Rodan squinted. He still didn¡¯t have the faintest inkling of who this man could have been. Still, his sword was steady. ¡°I¡¯m trying to stop explosions from going off here¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m sure you are.¡± ¡°Let me pass.¡± Rodan asked, not because he was hoping for a distraction, but because he had the incredibly accurate sense that he couldn¡¯t just run. The man before him was dangerous. ¡°Sorry, no can do, Hero. You and I have business.¡± ¡°What business? I don¡¯t know you!¡± ¡°But I got paid to end you.¡± The man licked his lips with his green, bumpy tongue. ¡°And I¡¯m a professional. I can¡¯t just say no to good business.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Fighting a Hero¡¯s a nice perk too.¡± Rodan snapped his arm up. ¡°Firebolt!¡± A ball of fire whipped up within the moment and flew toward the assassin with incredible speed. ¡®Firebolt¡¯ was one of the quickest spells to cast¡ªnot many in the world could react to it appropriately. ¡°Hehehehe!¡± The man before Rodan was one of the few. His hand went up, and a purple vortex appeared in his palm as purple veins spread out over his armor. ¡°Thanks for the meal, Hero!¡± The man sucked in the Firebolt, consuming it until the only magic that could be seen was the swirling vortex on the surface of his palm. Rodan shuddered at the sight. ¡°The magic-devouring arm...¡± Rodan went paler as he recalled every detail attached to that arm. ¡°One of the *19 Ill Stars*¡ªDreks, the Magic Eater.¡± ¡°Ill Stars?¡± Dreks shrugged. ¡°Never heard of it. Is that what the gods call me behind my back?¡± He grinned as his eyes became crazed. ¡°That¡¯s rude, don¡¯t you think, Hero?!¡± ¡°DREKS!¡± Rodan roared, his heart overwhelmed with rage. He fired another Firebolt at Dreks, who just swallowed it up. ¡°You attacked Homa Village!¡± Rodan slashed at the assassin, who leaped back effortlessly. ¡°You killed those villagers!¡± Rodan slashed again, and Dreks sidestepped. ¡°Oh? Did I? Must not have been a memorable job¡ª¡° Rodan¡¯s speed increased, and he roared. ¡°Dreks!¡± Dreks prepared to not run¡ªthe next attack was one he had to withstand. ¡®Make a statement,¡¯ he had thought to himself. Rodan swung his sword and roared. ¡°You killed my mother, you bastard!¡± Dreks met Rodan¡¯s sword with his shield and sneered from behind it. ¡°Your mother? Was she beautiful?¡± Episode 008: Save the Hero Part 02 The two were locked in a stalemate, Rodan pressing his sword against Dreks¡¯s shield. ¡°So, how about it, Hero?¡± Dreks''s sneer turned into a lecherous and disturbing smile as his face became flushed with hot blood. ¡°If she was beautiful, I didn¡¯t just kill her.¡± He let out a disturbing, gurgling laugh. ¡°I made sure to savor her every hole!¡± Rodan shook as his eyes widened and his mind tried to bar the imagery from his consciousness. ¡°Even the ones I made myself! Gehehehe! Was she beautiful? For your sake, I hope she was pig-ugly!¡± Rodan was consumed by rage¡ªthat rage awakened something in him and the sword he wielded. With a vengeful roar, the sword caught flame, and a surge of power came from his arms. Dreks winced as he broke contact with the young man. He quickly leaped away a few feet, unwilling to risk being taken by surprise by the unexpected strength. He locked his eyes on his advisory, who pursued him anyway. Rodan slashed at the air and sent a wave of fire Dreks¡¯s way. The assassin put up his magic-devouring arm. He activated it, but as soon as he did, noticed his error¡ª ¡°It¡¯s not magic?!¡± The flames were not pulled into the arm and instead hit Dreks¡¯s body. The assassin yelped in pain as the flames burned not only his body but his spirit too. ¡°Burn in the nether, bastard!¡± yelled Rodan as he rushed toward the assassin. This was it. Here in this moment, he had unlocked the power the world was waiting for him to discover within himself¡ªthe Hero¡¯s Brilliant Flame. It was a flame powered by Rodan¡¯s desire for justice to be meted out and his spirit. Dreks lifted his arm, but he was too late. The brilliant sword tore a fiery path from Drecks¡¯s left shoulder down to his right hip. Rodan, with the eyes of a beast, smiled in triumph. Meanwhile, Dreks¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of his head. ¡°Gehehehe.¡± Dreks uttered it¡ªthe thing people of this world say when they deceive a mark. ¡°An offering to the trickster king,¡± Dreks, having pulled a trick on Rodan, smiled from ear to ear as he locked eyes with the boy. ¡°Heed me, boy! Burn this name into your memory so that it may haunt you in death!¡± Dreks¡¯s fist glowed gold moments before he ran it into Rodan¡¯s lightly armored gut. ¡°Hidden Spirit Technique: Reciprocation!¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Rodan¡¯s face contorted as if he was about to vomit, but before he could, blood and gold energy erupted from his back like it was a parasite leaving its host¡¯s body. Rodan was sent flying into the wall at the end of the alley, propelled by the gusts Dreks¡¯s move provoked. He hit the wall with devastating force¡ªit was a miracle he didn¡¯t bring the entire wall down. The boy gasped for air, but he was stunned, bleeding, and instantaneously exhausted. He still held his jeweled sword, but the brilliant flames had long been extinguished. Dreks laughed. The fire that had been burning him had disappeared, and all the damage he had taken had been transferred back to Rodan, twofold. ¡°Let me tell you something, boy. One doesn¡¯t get to thrive in this world by only being able to counter one type of energy. He held up his right fist¡ªone covered in gold energy. I can use Spirit Techniques too. Ones that can counter yours.¡± He sneered at the fallen hero. ¡°This is the difference between you and me...¡± A sinister smile turned maniacal as the assassin stopped restraining himself. ¡°I strived to be the best that I could be! I did so because I wanted to be able to do whatever I wanted to strong men and beautiful women and vice versa! And now I¡¯m here, beating the Hero of legends down! Not even the blessings of the gods can save you!¡± Dreks held out his arms. ¡°Do you get it? The Hero who gains power when he gets mad¡ªI trained and improved myself so that I could always be ahead of that brat that has power handed to him!¡± He locked his bulging eyes with Rodan. ¡°We were fated to clash from the start because I am your antithesis!¡± Dreks threw his head back and roared into the sky, happy to take his moment to gloat and let it all be known. ¡°I¡¯m better than you! I¡¯m better than the upstart Hero of legends! Hear that, Gods up on high?! I am better!¡± He laughed for a few moments before dropping his arms and calmly laying his eyes back on Rodan. He smiled and held up his hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to celebrate... I can¡¯t wait to savor every one of that princess¡¯s holes.¡± Dreks licked his lips. ¡°That friend of yours¡ªthe gladiator¡ªhe looked tasty too.¡± Rodan tried to roar, but he only coughed up blood. ¡°Gehehehe! Imbecile! Here¡¯s a fitting end for a fool like you, who rested on the power he was given.¡± Fire began swirling in front of Dreks¡¯s palm. ¡°Have a taste of your Firebolt and go to damnation, cursing and screaming.¡± The fire illuminated Rodan¡¯s face, laying his desperate hope bare for all to see. It was in that moment¡ªright before Dreks fired¡ªthat Rodan saw something strange. A disembodied hand flew in from the side, and right before the assassin shot his Firebolt, the hand pushed the arm skyward. The Firebolt was released and flew into the sky, flying many feet over Rodan¡¯s head. ¡°What the¡ª¡° Dreks yelped. He looked to his left and quickly moved his head, narrowly avoiding the dagger that flew by¡ªone held by another floating hand. A shuffle came from his right, and he quickly whipped his head and blocked the oncoming kick from a surprise intruder with his bare arm. ¡°Who dares?!¡± The mystery attacker was silent as she landed. Dreks tried to strike her with his other hand, but one of the disembodied hands yanked him by the hair and made him lose his footing. One swift roundhouse kick from the mystery attacker sent Dreks back a few feet as the hand kept yanking on his hair. Dreks took his dagger from his belt and cut his hair off. ¡°Get off!¡± The hand flew around as he turned and uppercut him before flying toward Rodan and the mystery attacker who had gotten between them. ¡°Help him, Dorthaunzee,¡± said the attacker. Dreks held up his and cast his gaze toward the newcomers in time to see a woman dressed like a nun applying a faint blue magic to Rodan. Then, in front of the nun and the Hero, stood a gray-skinned woman in light gear. She had a dagger in one hand while her other hand floated next to her head. ¡°Who are you people?! Assassins? Which guild do you belong to?!¡± ¡°None.¡± Elma¡¯s eyes were fixed on Dreks, but her next statement was for Rodan. ¡°We¡¯re here to support you, Hero... Call us... your Auxiliary Forces.¡± The Hero Hub¡¯s Elma and Dorthaunzee had arrived, having sprinted to the secluded alleyway from their drop zone. A wish had been made, and they had made it just in time to make a difference. Episode 008: Save the Hero Part 03 Dreks looked at the newcomers, perplexed. A few seconds later, a dry laugh escaped his lips. ¡°Huh... Look at that. The Hero has allies turning up out of nowhere!¡± Dreks turned maniacal again as a thin trail of blood escaped his lips. ¡°Hero Rodan! Do you have no shame?! Even now, your Goddess conspires to help you! Can you do nothing without your divine bitch?!¡± Dreks whipped his arms down repeatedly. ¡°Tell me, Rodan! Why do you and only you get looked at so favorably?! How is that fair?!¡± Rodan winced¡ªeven he was overwhelmed by the sudden allies that came from nowhere. ¡°Dreks... I¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªHuh?¡± Elma held out her reconnected hand. She didn¡¯t want the Hero speaking any longer. She wanted to answer. ¡°He¡¯s helped because he deserves it, Dreks.¡± Elma smirked. ¡°He¡¯s the one who chose to take on the hard job of being the Hero.¡± ¡°Hard job?! How is it a hard job when the gods themselves are helping him?!¡± Elma didn¡¯t lose a beat. ¡°Well, he attracts people like you and your employers who try to kill him, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Dreks growled at Elma¡¯s comment. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how nerve-wracking that must be¡ªhaving so many crazed admirers...and yet... he perseveres. I could think of no one more deserving of a little aid. I know he¡¯ll return the favor tenfold for this world¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Dreks spat. Elma smiled. ¡°Because he is the Hero.¡± Behind Elma, Rodan inspected his body. ¡°Huh? The pain is gone.¡± He looked at Dorthaunzee. ¡°Th-Thank you.¡± The mouthless Dorthaunzee smiled with her eyes and hoped he wouldn¡¯t be too put off. ¡°Hey. Rodan,¡± Elma said. ¡°You should run over to that princess in your party. She might need help¡ª¡° ¡°No, I can help you. Dreks is unbelievably dangerous¡ª¡° Dreks threw a dagger¡ªhoping to catch them unaware¡ªand Elma jerked her head out of the way. Dreks ran toward her, and she raised her hand and released a black cloud of mana. Dreks, confident in his ability to hold his breath and fight with his eyes closed, was not bothered. He ran into the cloud and didn¡¯t make it three steps before regretting his decision. ¡°Ack¡ªwhat is this?!¡± He stopped in his tracks and coughed while squeezing his eyes shut. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it It wasn¡¯t simple smoke. It wasn¡¯t even poison smoke. It was simply mana that made living things wither. It was a mana that didn¡¯t exist in this world¡ªa mana that Dreks could never fathom to counter. It didn¡¯t matter if he held his breath or shut his eyes. What mattered was that he was alive and that the mana targeted living things on a fundamental level. ¡°There isn¡¯t time for this, Hero,¡± Elma snapped. ¡°Just help the princess, or she¡¯ll die! After that, round up your friends and try to make it back here! We¡¯ll hold him until then, at least!¡± Rodan grunted, but he nodded. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll get everyone! Thank you, strangers!¡± Rodan found a pathway and squeezed through it while Dreks was distracted. Elma glanced at Dorthaunzee. ¡°Hey. I need to be able to communicate with you. Give me those spores or whatever it is that you use.¡± Dorthaunzee nodded and released a trail of blue light from her lantern. Elma raised her hand, and the trail of light swirled around the hand until a tiny mushroom formed. ¡°Okay... Just be ready,¡± Elma said. Elma rushed into the cloud and dashed straight through, finding Dreks on the other side. He sensed her presence. His eyes were blurry and throbbing, and a strange pain was radiating along his skin, but he still raised his shield to meet Elma¡¯s dagger. ¡°You! What was that smoke?!¡± ¡°Study it more, assassin!¡± Elma released another cloud from her arms, eliciting a pained yell from Dreks. He, desperate, did something novel¡ªhe absorbed the cloud. Elma was surprised when she saw her mana being sucked into the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Hah! So it¡¯s magic!¡± Dreks¡¯s other fist flew and struck Elma square in the nose. She stumbled back a bit where she was met by the blue glow of Dorthaunzee¡¯s magic. ¡°Thanks!¡± Elma yelled as she readied her dagger again. Her eyes went wide¡ªshe caught the assassin¡¯s movement in time to roll to her left. Dreks stabbed the ground Elma had stood on and looked at the girl from his squat. ¡°Come on, then! Give me some more of that cloud!¡± Elma narrowed her eyes at the man¡¯s arm. ¡°What did you do to it?¡± ¡°Surprised? I ate it and made it my own. I can¡¯t wait to use it on others! What a weird magic!¡± Slack-jawed wonder turned to a wry smile. ¡°You ate it?¡± She stifled a giggle and cleared her throat. ¡°No! You must be lying! My mana is my own! No one can make it theirs!¡± She pointed her palms at him and released two plumes of her mana at Dreks. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡± she screamed, her voice sounding as desperate as she could make it. Dreks licked his lips and began sucking in the mana as soon as it hit him. ¡°It¡¯s not so scary when I¡¯m stopping it from spreading.¡± He was so focused on the smoke, he didn¡¯t notice Elma¡¯s crazed smile. She ceased the production of the clouds and ran toward him. She struck at him right as he realized she approached, and his shield met her blade. ¡°Impossible!¡± Elma screamed. ¡°The only ones who could hope to survive my smoke are undead!¡± ¡°Undead, huh?¡± Dreks pushed with his shield arm and kicked Elma in the gut. ¡°So is that what you are?! Some necromancer¡¯s bitch? Never seen an undead like you!¡± He took a step forward and suddenly ejected putrid blood from his mouth. He gripped his throat and fell to his knees. He gagged, coughed, wretched. All the most terrible sounds¡ªhe made them. ¡°So, it¡¯s affecting you now.¡± Dreks looked up at Elma, black tears streaming from his eyes. ¡°What did you do?!¡± ¡°I told you.¡± Elma sneered. ¡°Only undead can hope to not be affected by my mana.¡± Episode 008: Save the Hero Part 04 ¡°NO!¡± the assassin roared. Dreks, unwilling to be beaten, pulled a dart filled with a green liquid from his pocket and jammed it into his neck. The liquid entered his neck, and suddenly, he had a little more life to him. He coated his right hand in gold energy and fired a punch at Elma. The punch flew faster than anything the assassin had tried before. It made contact with her face and she flew back, a trail of spit marking her flight path. Dorthaunzee reacted and caught Elma as she slammed into her. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know how to deal with poison?!¡± Dreks roared. He roared and roared until the golden energy covered his body like a dense aura. ¡°Come on, then!¡± Dorthaunzee was frantic. She was about to heal Elma when Elma raised her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t. We¡¯re sticking to the plan!¡± Elma stood up straight and grinned at Dorthaunzee. ¡°It¡¯s all you.¡± Elma snapped her gaze toward Dreks and fired her last cloud of mana. Dreks laughed and released a gust of wind from his right hand, scattering the cloud. ¡°No more tricks, bitch! Huh?!?!¡± He bared his teeth as a wide smile overtook his expression. He saw Elma use her disembodied hands to help boost her up onto a roof. She had used them like stepping stones. The sight confused him. ¡°You running away?!¡± Elma sneered at him and shouted. ¡°No! I¡¯m just getting out of the way!¡± Alarm bells went off in Dreks¡¯s head, and he turned his gaze back to the nun. Darkness was pouring out from beneath her skirt. No! What are you doing?! Dreks screamed internally. His every sense was telling him¡ª Stop her! He ran toward Dorthaunzee and swiped at her. She, holding onto her staff with both hands, raised her face to meet his eyes, wearing a determined look. She pulled down the covering obscuring her mouthless face. The moment his fist was an inch from her face, the skin covering her mouth tore as she opened wide, and a loud, heart-shattering scream escaped. Simultaneously, a large tentacle with a bluish green underside and blue, glowing growths lashed out from the ground and struck Dreks in his side. ¡°GUH¡ª¡° The assassin flew into the side of a building and through to the interior. On the roof, Elma whistled. ¡°Wow... How terrifying...¡± Thirty-two squirming tentacles surrounded Dorthaunzee. With every second, they grew more frantic and energetic. One shot into the building and pulled Dreks out by his ankle. ¡°W-What is this?!¡± he asked while upside down. The tentacle threw him into the air, and another rose and expanded to slap him to the ground. Dreks hit the ground with a groan. His eyes went wide as three tentacles slammed their mass onto him repeatedly. ¡°Brutal,¡± Elma said as she watched. She saw movement from the corner of her eye and narrowly dodged an oncoming tentacle by hopping over it. ¡°Damn! She¡¯s already losing control! Dorthaunzee!¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Dorthaunzee, meanwhile, was in the center of the tentacles, her hands shaking. She had no experience ever controlling her tentacles. For her, it was either keep them packed within the body or have them out¡ªthere was no in-between. Because of that, her tentacles were becoming more rambunctious. They slammed the walls and tore through some. Those were the actions of the unoccupied ones. Meanwhile, the tentacles fixated on Dreks were having fun. One grabbed him, lifted him into the air, and slammed him back down like he was a hammer. It did this eight times before throwing him into a wall. Then four tentacles shot out to strike his abdomen. They would have torn through him had it not been for the golden energy reinforcing his body. That said, there was a limit to his efforts. A tentacle wrapped around his neck and wrung him around like he was a rag doll. It then threw him onto a roof, where his golden energy finally dissipated. He struggled to get up¡ªhis whole body was throbbing. His eyes widened as he noticed the shadow that had encompassed him. The tentacle came down on him before he could even look up. It destroyed the shabby roof and sent him to the ground floor. ¡°G-Gah! Baargh! Ahhhrgh!¡± He took the brunt of that attack head-on. A countless number of bones in his body were broken. Seeing that, Elma called to Dorthaunzee after dodging another tentacle. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s time! Call them off!¡± Dorthaunzee nodded many times and shut her eyes. She imagined her new savior and how scary he could be, praying that he could save her once more. Elma, meanwhile, ran into the house and picked Dreks up. She saw the tentacle coming back and rolled out of the way along with Dreks, the assassin yelling and cursing with every forceful move. ¡°Bitch! You bitch! I¡¯ll kill you¡ª GAH!¡± ¡°Shut it.¡± Elma had cut off the fingers of his right hand. With the tentacles still going mad behind her and with Dreks over her shoulder, she ran through what seemed like extremely shoddy living quarters until she spotted the door ahead of the two. With one spin to build momentum, she flung Dreks from her shoulder and into the door. ¡°Guh¡ªBARGH!¡± She followed up with a swift kick to Dreks¡¯s abdomen, using his body to break down the door. The assassin, now puking blood, landed on the ground. Elma ran, stepped on him, and then grabbed him by the hair with her disconnected right hand and dragged him along. Behind her, the sounds of destruction were calming down. ¡°Good job, Dorthaunzee,¡± Elma said with a chuckle. She glanced at Dreks with a look of disgust and used all the strength in her body to push him ahead of herself. He slid to a stop, and she stepped on his chest with her muddy boot. Dreks gasped for air. ¡°W-What do you want?¡± ¡°I want to know who your employers are. I need names. I¡¯ll tell you the antidot¡ª¡° ¡°Minister Fergus and his ilk!¡± Dreks roared. ¡°Those bastards! This is their fault! Because of them, I¡¯m like this! Burn! Burn you, bastards!¡± Dreks looked at Elma with crazed eyes. He didn¡¯t believe her when she denied affiliation with a guild. She must have been an assassin affiliated with some other group. In other words, he was sure she was like him. ¡°Those bastards didn¡¯t check if the other guilds had a vested interest in the Hero! So take them out! I was just doing my job! They¡¯re all holed up at this address¡ª¡° Elma committed the address to memory and stepped off him. ¡°Get them! Get them while they¡¯re drinking their guilt away! Bastards!¡± Elma shook her head at the grotesque man in pain and shock. ¡°HEY! The antidote!¡± She looked over her shoulder at him. ¡°Yeah. You have to release my mana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?!¡± he asked, barely able to raise his head to see Elma. ¡°That¡¯s right. The mana targets living things. It¡¯s the ultimate poison against the living.¡± Dreks started chuckling. He turned his right palm up to face the sky. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± His laugh grew louder as he shot the witherspell mana into the sky. ¡°Gehehehe! I¡¯m going to survive! Hahahaha!¡± Elma walked toward where she left Dorthaunzee. She had a little giggle as well. She knew full well it was probably too late for the man. It was one thing to breathe in trace amounts, but to eat and absorb the mana? Directly like that? Elma had never seen a more violent reaction than the one he showed. Too much of her mana probably got into his internal system. She was sure of it. He would need divine intervention to survive. She chuckled again. ¡°I know the face of divine intervention now, and it doesn¡¯t smile on you.¡± Dorthaunzee ran up to Elma as soon as she saw her ally turn the corner. ¡°Hey,¡± Elma said. She looked around and noted the tentacles were indeed gone. ¡°Oh? So, Fainn really is that scary, huh?¡± Elma giggled. ¡°Great... Well, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve got a party to crash,¡± Elma said with a sinister smile. Episode 009: Overtime At the Observatory¡ª I pumped my fist. ¡°They did it! They took out the assassin! Good job, Elma!¡± ¡°Fainn, the Mission has been marked as completed... We have permission to pull them back now, but given that they¡¯re on their way to stop the people who ordered the assassination, we¡¯ve been allowed Overtime.¡± ¡°What? What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what it sounds like¡ªspecial conditions that allow the girls to stay beyond the initial mission scope. Their efforts earned them this time.¡± ¡°Is there any benefit to not taking the Overtime?¡± ¡°If the girls were more hurt, being allowed to pull them out could be valuable. Also, if they die, they¡¯ll lose their potential rewards.¡± ¡°Oooh. I see. Got it. So we¡¯ve gone above the bare minimum and are being rewarded for that. Okay. Well, the girls don¡¯t seem to want to leave, so we won¡¯t pull them out. Leaving this half done might just make it so something similar happens in the future.¡± ¡°I agree...¡± Svilran knit her brows and looked down. ¡°Though...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We need to be ready for something unexpected when they return... Elma... She doesn¡¯t seem like a classic hero. We might see something unusual in her Mission Report.¡± I looked at the screen showing Elma and Dorthaunzee. Svilran did touch on something I was thinking about myself. I chose my words carefully. ¡°Elma... might be the kind of person that isn¡¯t afraid of doing the dirty stuff to ensure peace.¡± ¡°Can that kind of person really be a Hero?¡± ¡°She can be a Dark Hero, or an Anti-Hero in that case... I mean...¡± I thought about the scenario. In my mind, neutralizing corrupt officials feels like the right thing... But was there consideration of the methods utilized? If so, Elma could be penalized... I sighed. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything until we know how the powers that be judge the situation. Regardless, we¡¯re the Hero Hub that nurtures Heroes, right?¡± Svilran nodded. ¡°Then, if we see that Elma is getting negative feedback, all we have to do is help readjust her course after learning she¡¯s going in the wrong direction... This... This isn¡¯t a normal situation. We¡¯re in a reality where we know afterlives exist, and we¡¯re doing work for the good of a world. On the other side, evil can be insidious. The ones fighting for good can¡¯t be so inflexible at this stage. If we stay inflexible, thinking good will always win¡­ Well, that isn¡¯t how the world works. We¡¯re in a situation that evil ultimately provoked. We can¡¯t be inflexible in curtailing it.¡± I glanced at Svilran. ¡°What do you say to that?¡± Her lips quivered, and she frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know... I... I spent a lot of my time looking at happy people... I don¡¯t know about this kind of stuff.¡± ¡°A goddess who only saw the good parts...¡± Svilran became small. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Fainn.¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Your opinion will matter when we¡¯re navigating moral matters... It¡¯s clear that there is some kind of balancing act we have to be conscious of. If Gods can be bound by rules and laws, then obviously we would be too.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re not told all the rules, so they have to cut us some slack.¡± Svilran giggled and smiled like a weight was lifted. ¡°Yeah! We can make some missteps with our handling of the Heroes¡ªit¡¯s their fault for not giving us clear guidelines when we¡¯re in uncharted territory.¡± We both turned our focus to the screen. We were in Overtime now. Knowing we could pull them out at any time was good. Now we just had to watch carefully in case they needed a last-minute rescue. ¡°Come on, girls. You¡¯ve got this,¡± I muttered. *** ¡ªElma and Dorthaunzee¡¯s Side¡ª ¡°There it is¡ªthat would be the residence I was told of,¡± said Elma from her perch on a nearby building¡¯s roof. It had been two hours since the fight with Dreks. After leaving the slums, Elma worked quickly, hopping from tavern to tavern as she tried to find out information that would help her find the address. Eventually, and after speaking with many drunks, the pair ended up on a roof, observing the heavily secured residence a few buildings away. Elma, resourceful, had pilfered a spyglass from a drunk guard, and it was coming in handy. ¡°According to the information I collected, that is actually a merchant¡¯s home.¡± Dorthaunzee watched Elma with stars in her eyes. The mushroom growing out of Elma¡¯s hand pulsated in response. ¡°Hmm? Me being like a spy?¡± Elma giggled at the thoughts Dorthaunzee communicated. ¡°I¡¯m nothing like that,¡± she said, while keeping her eyes fixed on the home¡¯s entrance. ¡°What¡¯s that? How am I so confident?¡± Elma shrugged. ¡°Well, in my world, my master¡ª¡° Elma caught herself and shook her head. ¡°The family that kept me would sometimes take me out to these parties with others of their ilk. They would always tell me to make sure their contemporaries didn¡¯t snack on me. I was something to be shown off. I wasn¡¯t a free meal.¡± Elma¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°And when I slipped up, and their friends ate some of my mana? It was me that was beaten. After all, I was irresistible¡ªthey couldn¡¯t be expected to hold back their appetite. I should have known better and not have enticed them... It was in my best interest to be vigilant... Soon, I started to be vigilant for that family whenever we were out and tried to protect them from anyone who would have ill designs for them. I hoped that I could curry favor that would protect me, and it did. The daughter of the family appreciated my efforts and taught me some things on the side...¡± Elma let out a heavy breath. ¡°Sorry, that was a lot to unload¡ª¡° Dorthaunzee placed her hand on Elma and shook her head. She was happy to hear it. Elma felt the warmth radiating from Dorthaunzee¡¯s thoughts. And then she sensed fear and smiled at Dorthaunzee. ¡°You have it pretty rough too, huh? Having to invoke Fainn¡¯s image so often to keep those tentacles at bay.¡± Dorthaunzee shook her hands and flexed a little. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she conveyed. ¡°Of course you will,¡± Elma said with a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re a Hero too.¡± She fixed her eyes on the residence again. ¡°So, there are two guards at the door, and they just let in some women in gowns... Are these people just partying?¡± Dorthaunzee looked at the residence curiously. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re probably doing it to make it look as if they weren¡¯t involved with the assassination. Is it a good idea? I¡¯m not sure... They would all have alibis, though. Whatever. This gives us a way in.¡± Elma took off her black jacket and then threw off her sweatshirt. She was standing in just her undergarment¡ªa black bra. Dorthaunzee cocked her head and then reached for the bottom of her dress¡ª ¡°Whoa there,¡± Elma said as she replaced her jacket. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that.¡± Elma eyed Dorthaunzee. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re already a bombshell,¡± she muttered. In the back of her mind, she couldn¡¯t help but lament how malnourished she herself was. She shook herself out of her self-pity and nodded at Dorthaunzee. ¡°I bet you¡¯ll fit someone¡¯s tastes dressed like that.¡± The mushroom pulsated. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t get what I mean. You don¡¯t need to get it. Anyway, we¡¯re going to try to get in there...¡± Elma twisted her lips. ¡°I might need you to use your tentacles again. Is that okay?¡± Dorthaunzee showed Elma a thumbs up. Elma smiled and looked up at her lantern¡ªone she had wrapped earlier so that the light wouldn¡¯t give away their position. ¡°We need to come up with a story for that one.¡± Episode 009: Overtime Part 02
Ten minutes later-- ¡°And who are you two? Never seen you two around these parts,¡± asked a rough and buff goatman as he examined the two strange women that had arrived. ¡°Who are we?¡± Elma asked, cocking her head back. She showed her chest a little, showing off the modest black bra she was wearing and the enchanting assets it was restraining. ¡°We were ordered to come to this party along with the other girls.¡± If there was something Elma regretted, it was that she didn¡¯t ask about brothels or any big player in the district that she could try to namedrop. If things went south, they had a tentacle monster that would guarantee them entry. ¡°I was told there were some big names we couldn¡¯t afford to disappoint in there,¡± Elma continued. The goatman, one of two guards wearing light armor beneath elegant tunics, scoffed at Elma and Dorthaunzee. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your skin?¡± Elma pinched her face. ¡°Our skin? Our most prized customers call it exotic. It¡¯s quite rare to get this coloration where we come from--¡° ¡°And where would that be?¡± ¡°The South,¡± Elma quickly replied. She picked up this bit of info while scurrying through taverns for information. In this world, the people of the South were known to have darker skin tones. In general, it seemed like most of the people she talked to believed the South was a place of mysteries. ¡°You¡¯re really grilling the working girls there, buddy,¡± said the other guard--a jovial young man. ¡°We¡¯re paid to be careful,¡± the goatman shot back. He glanced at Dorthaunzee. ¡°And this one?¡± Dorthaunzee had arrived with a black scarf covering her nonexistent mouth and chin. Her lantern was also lit and exposed, but the ladies got the feeling the goatman was more concerned about her habit. ¡°My friend here--the clientele love it when she plays this role. It¡¯s a people pleaser.¡± ¡°I bet. All kinds of riff-raff want to defile a holy woman.¡± The goatman glanced at the lantern. ¡°And that lantern hanging above her head?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a prop for dripping hot wax on the riff-raff.¡± The goatman¡¯s eyes went wide, and he almost ¡°baa¡¯ed¡± out of surprise. His coworker burst out laughing. His laugh called the attention of yet another. ¡°What are you louts laughing about?¡± asked the round-bellied man that came stomping out. ¡°Oh my,¡± he said when he saw the two visions of gray-skinned beauty. He became more flushed than he was the moment before, his grizzly and stained mustache wiggling as he panted. His robes and the many rings that adorned his fingers were too good for this overweight, made-up man. His breath wreaked of alcohol, and he could barely stand without adjusting his feet. ¡°And who are you gifts?¡± He looked at the goatman and barked. ¡°Why are these precious things still out here?!¡± ¡°M-Mister Fergus, we¡¯re just verifying their identities--¡° Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Elma restrained her smile at the mention of his name. He was one of the problem elements. ¡°Fool! We ordered the best for tonight! Don¡¯t you think these are the best?¡± He looked at Dorthaunzee and licked his lips. ¡°Didn¡¯t think we¡¯d get so lucky that we¡¯d be visited by a holy woman.¡± Dorthaunzee¡¯s eyes widened, and she looked at Elma, who urged her to keep her cool. Meanwhile, the human guard whispered something into Minister Fergus¡¯s ear. Elma was sure he mentioned ¡®hot wax.¡¯ Fergus went pink all over as he looked at the lantern. ¡°Oh my, oh my,¡± he said as he fanned himself. ¡°Ladies! Please come in and dine on the finest food and wine this kingdom has to offer.¡± Elma giggled and hooked her arm in Dorthaunzee¡¯s. ¡°Oh, finally someone who understands our worth!¡± The two were welcomed warmly when they entered the main lounge. There, surrounding a central table packed with food and drink, were all manner of repulsive but well-dressed men and many women in various states of undress. Some of the women were having their fun sitting on some laps while others were clearly playing the tease, tickling the chest of the man they sat beside. Elma and Dorthaunzee had quickly found seats on a couch and arranged themselves so that Dorthaunzee was at the edge of the couch, and Elma was beside her. They stole many eyes when they walked in, but Minister Fergus had quickly staked his claim when he announced their arrival. He sat next to Elma and occasionally sneaked thigh caresses. Elma, meanwhile, was unperturbed. She counted eighteen men in the room. Dorthaunzee would likely have no problem destroying this den of debauchery, but the women that were here--Elma had no quarrel with them. Ten minutes into the party, Elma had an idea that, if successful, would expedite the night¡¯s events. She beckoned Minister Fergus closer to her with a coy finger wag and closed in on his ear. ¡°To tell you the truth, we were sent here by someone special.¡± Fergus was intrigued and giggled. ¡°Pray tell, my dear; who do I have to thank for your presence?¡± ¡°We were supposed to be a signal of good things to come...¡± Elma whispered as she stroked the man¡¯s stomach, mimicking the way nobles of her world would try to cozy up to those of higher stature. ¡°Oh my, oh my--are you not the good thing, my dear?¡± He licked his lips. ¡°I would treat you so well should you let me enjoy you...¡± Elma chuckled. ¡°We were sent here by an intimidating man... Dreks. We¡¯re his good sign.¡± Fergus snorted and looked at Elma with the most enthusiastic grin. He let out a deep laugh and turned to his contemporaries. ¡°Hear, friends. That incorrigible bastard, Dreks! He did it!¡± Fergus laughed and kicked the table, spilling his wine and the wine of others. ¡°He sent us these gorgeous nymphs as a celebratory present!¡± Elma giggled to herself as the chamber erupted into a symphony of cheers and revelry. Elma watched carefully as the women were shocked by the sudden uproar and the men toasted. Many of the men took the woman they were with and ripped their clothes off on the spot. ¡°That bastard, Dreks,¡± one of the men roared as he smacked around the woman he was holding on to. ¡°If he¡¯s in a good mood, does that mean he defiled the princess?! That bastard! I¡¯ll have him hang.¡± Another responded. ¡°What can you do, you old fart? Just enjoy the women we have now!¡± Elma didn¡¯t care too much for those degenerates. No, she ignored those when she saw them. She was looking for something else--the hesitant ones. ¡°One there, and another there... That one too...¡± she whispered. The three she singled out looked downcast and were all sitting relatively near each other. One of them was on the verge of tears even. ¡°So that¡¯s fifteen--Hmm?¡± It took all that Elma had to not show her displeasure when she felt that swollen and clumsy hand grip her right breast. ¡°You, my darling, are the most wonderful deliverer of good news. Truly, you are a goddess of victory!¡± ¡°Oh? I would never profess to be as wonderful as a goddess... Can I tell you something, sir?¡± Fergus was delighted. ¡°Of course. What is it, my dear--Bfft--¡° His voice was cut off by the gurgles that came from his fat neck as his blood poured out. He tried to clutch his neck, but she grabbed his hand with one hand and directed his gaze to hers with the other. ¡°There is perhaps only one person in all of creation I could be convinced to let enjoy me.¡± She, ever so gracefully, flicked Fergus on the forehead and let him fall back onto the couch. She picked up the bloody dagger from between her thighs and stood up. ¡°Dorthaunzee, give me a second.¡± Episode 009: Overtime Part 03 Elma held out her hands and released a cloud of her mana into the lounge, much to the surprise of the revelers. She grabbed her daggers and sent her hands toward the nearest two. Before the first scream left anyone¡¯s lips, Elma had slit two more throats. Incidentally, the first to scream was the woman who had the blood of the man she was riding squirt onto her face. Elma didn¡¯t mind the woman, recalled her hands, and went for the next man, slitting his throat with one quick swipe. The fourth man shot up and threw the woman off himself, but Elma jumped on him and took him down, where she stabbed him in the chest five times. That she didn''t vocally curse the victim was a testament to her self-control. Her rage spilling out blinded her, however. The fifth man threw a vase at her from outside the cloud and hit her forehead. She fell backward into the cloud, and the man hollered. ¡°GUARDS! QUICKLY¡ªBWAH!¡± Elma¡¯s hand had flown out toward him and stabbed him right in the throat. Unwilling to waste any more time, she sent her other hand and another dagger toward the sixth victim and stabbed him in the eye. The seventh, who was right next to the sixth, tasted the same dagger when it flew right into his screaming mouth. The eighth and ninth were going to make a run for it, but their drunken senses weren¡¯t helping them. Elma, a mighty gash in her forehead, descended on them like a hungry jackal and knocked them to the ground long enough for her hands to fly in and stab them in the back of their necks. Meanwhile, Dorthaunzee had run up to the entryway she assumed the guards would pile in through. The first two she saw were the ones that guarded the door. She said a short prayer for them as the goatman lunged at her. The moment Dorthaunzee winced, a thin tentacle shot out like a metal wire and bisected the goatman, leaving the young human staring. He turned the other way and ran past the four other guards that had arrived. Dorthaunzee closed her eyes as the tentacles lashed out toward the guards, destroying the walls of the entryway. On Elma¡¯s side, she was on her fourteenth man. He, unable to run because of a bad leg, held a screaming woman between himself and Elma. Right before he gloated, Elma¡¯s right hand flew in from the side and sank into his left ear. The fourteenth fell over. She turned her gaze to the fifteenth and found him cowering in a corner along with the last three¡ªthe three Elma purposefully left out. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Before any could beg, her left hand flew up from their feet and ran the dagger up through the fifteenth man¡¯s chin. He fell over as the others screamed, backed into the corner like helpless animals. One accentuated his scream by vomiting everything he had eaten. Elma heard the sound of destruction approaching and pushed the three down as a tentacle tore through the air above them. Elma looked around¡ªthankfully, no girl seemed to have been hurt. ¡°Move, fools, move!¡± she screamed. She grabbed onto the three and pushed them to jump over the destroyed wall. Once on the other side, Elma glared at the three as the sounds of destruction started to wane behind them. ¡°Listen up, ingrates. I¡¯ve spared you because of a gut feeling.¡± Truly, Elma¡¯s mercy was predicated on the observation that these three men, in particular, did not have clear consciences about what they had been party to. They still breathed because they showed shame at the critical moment. ¡°Listen closely. I am the Will of God, made flesh. I am here in retaliation for you fools thinking you could have the Hero assassinated.¡± One of the men immediately got the message and got on his knees as he bowed before Elma. ¡°Mercy! Mercy, Madam! I¡¯m sorry! I was coerced¡ª¡° ¡°I don¡¯t care! All I need from you fools is to make sure you tell all who hold the reins of power what happened here today! Expose Fergus and any accomplice he has and make sure it is known¡ªthose allied with the Hero cannot so easily scheme in the dark.¡± Elma stood proudly. ¡°From now on, the gods are watching.¡± ¡°I-I-I understand, ma¡¯am!¡± screamed the bowing one. The other two followed suit and bowed before Elma. Elma looked to the side and saw Dorthaunzee turning the corner and then running toward her. Elma sprinted and picked up Dorthaunzee, carrying her like a bride as she went. ¡°Something¡¯s feeling weird¡ªit feels like a bell¡¯s going off in my head,¡± Elma said. Elma didn¡¯t want to stay in the area any longer. She had been filled with an inexplicable desire to return home. She looked at the nun. ¡°Good use of the tentacles there, partner¡ªoh, thank you,¡± she said, surprised that Dorthaunzee¡¯s first move was to use healing magic on her. Elma ran down a hallway and spotted a window. She looked down at Dorthaunzee and smirked. ¡°I might need your healing magic in a second.¡± Dorthaunzee responded with delighted eyes and nodded. Just as Elma leaped, the two disappeared into thin air. Episode 009: Overtime Part 04
Moments before the mission¡¯s completion, at the Observatory-- ¡°Grr...¡± I was impatiently tapping the console as I watched Elma and Dorthaunzee meld with the crowd of targets. It had been some minutes since they entered that lounge. Svilran giggled behind me. ¡°Aww, is someone jealous?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. I just don¡¯t like that they have to do this.¡± ¡°Well, if it really bothers you, you could let them know what kinds of things you would prefer they not do.¡± I looked away, a little embarrassed at how I sounded. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be telling the girls how to do their job that aggressively...¡± I shook my head and sighed. ¡°Well, Elma¡¯s a grown woman who knows what¡¯s she¡¯s doing. She¡¯s been through more than most people will go through in three lives... but Dorth is innocence incarnate. I don¡¯t enjoy having to see her do something so uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Dorth?¡± Svilran asked while wagging her brows. ¡°Someone¡¯s getting really attached.¡± I stayed quiet. Truth be told, I was. And not just to Dorth, but to Elma too. As I watched her on the screen, I kept thinking of the girl that couldn¡¯t keep down her food. I knew I shouldn¡¯t, but that was just a few days ago. I knew she was doing her best to be strong and embrace her new life, but that person I saw the other day was still in there. I just didn¡¯t want anything to break her down again. Then, I saw the bastard grab her tit-- ¡°Hey! That¡¯s uncalled for!¡± ¡°I agree!¡± Svilran followed. ¡°Unhand her, you brute!¡± Then we watched as she slit the man¡¯s throat. My eyes were wide. ¡°Uhh...¡± ¡°Fainn, that was scary... Was that really hero-like?¡± Elma began her assault on the party, moving quickly and brutally. Svilran held onto my shoulders as she hid behind me. She was tense--her fingers were really digging into me. That said--still amazing. It was like her nails were laced with some kind of muscle relaxant. Elma¡¯s assault went by quickly, and at the end, it seemed she had picked three of the men out to give some sort of message to. ¡°I wish we had audio...¡± I said, trying to read her lips. ¡°I... don¡¯t know if I want it.¡± We watched as Elma started making her escape-- ¡°Fainn! Overtime is over, and they¡¯re in a blind spot! They¡¯re going to be transported!¡± ¡°Oh, really? Wow! Come on! Let¡¯s go greet them!¡± We ran out the door as the girls disappeared. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. *** The girls appeared from the portal a few moments after we got there. ¡°Welcome back!¡± Svilran enthusiastically said, her arms raised in celebration. Elma waved, cool as ever. ¡°Hey, Madam Goddess, hey Fainn--Mmm?!¡± I didn¡¯t really know what came over me. ¡°I¡¯m so glad!¡± I had gone and ran up to them like an embarrassing old man and hugged the two of them. ¡°You two did great!¡± I said as I tried to hold back happy tears. ¡°H-Hey--¡° Elma said. Dorthaunzee, meanwhile, nuzzled up to me, rubbing her cheek against mine and reciprocating the hug. Elma, too, I was pretty sure, came closer and reciprocated a little... It was hard to tell--I was too swept up by my feelings. ¡°Yay! Group hug!¡± Svilran yelled before she jumped into the three of us. ¡°Madam Goddess!?¡± Elma yelped. ¡°Svilran!¡± I yelled. ¡°You¡¯re going to topple us over!¡± This woman wasn¡¯t a child. There were well over a hundred pounds that she was packing on that thin frame. We fell over, all bracing to hit the ground when-- ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No way...¡± Elma and I were amazed that a tentacle had sprung out from Dorthaunzee and gently caught the three of us. Dorth smiled with her eyes, but her hands were trembling. ¡°Wait to go, Partner,¡± Elma said. ¡°Still, after seeing how these things were when they ran wild, it¡¯s amazing how they cower before Fainn...¡± We shared a small laugh, and all got ourselves together once more. Becoming a little more serious, we stood before the and had a quick chat. While we did that, I glanced at the After-Mission screens. ¡°Any matter, I wasn¡¯t expecting such a quick trip back,¡± Elma said. ¡°Did we finish the job up adequately?¡± Svilran chuckled dryly. ¡°I guess you could say that.¡± Dorthaunzee, meanwhile, ran up to me and had one of her shrooms pop up on me. ¡°Hey, whoa there,¡± I said, suddenly overwhelmed. ¡°You¡¯re upset about your staff not making the trip with you?¡± Elma looked down at her clothes and shook her head. ¡°Darn. I forgot that I had to pick up the gear we left behind.¡± Elma bowed. ¡°My apologies--¡° ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I said. Elma looked up to see her stuff and Dorthaunzee¡¯s staff in my hands. Dorth was overjoyed and quickly took her staff back. Elma, too, came up to me with a smile and received her belongings. ¡°So, you guys did something called ¡®Overtime,¡¯ and for your efforts,¡± I said, ¡°we were given a slap-on-the-wrist when it came to your items. Your items made the trip back with you, but we got the note saying that it¡¯ll only be the stuff you have on your person that returns at the mission¡¯s end next time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to know the feature exists,¡± Svilran said. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s some way of unlocking it through Hero Hub development.¡± ¡°That would be nice, but I¡¯m hoping for a more elegant solution,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m just happy to have our stuff,¡± Elma said, echoing Dorth¡¯s sentiment. ¡°So, should we find out the results? I¡¯m curious as to how much Hero Merit I earned.¡± ¡°Oh yes! Let¡¯s--¡° I held my hand out in front of Svilran¡¯s face, stopping her from looking at the menu. ¡°I already checked it,¡± I said. ¡°It looks like the results are still being calculated? It must be because of the Overtime.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe the property damage is factoring into the final numbers.¡± I glanced at Svilran, who looked perplexed. I prayed she would just drop it and let me lie for now. Come on, Svilran. Get the hint. We need to talk about THESE results before sharing them. Elma nodded along. ¡°Fair enough then.¡± Elma stretched and yawned. Dorthaunzee mimicked her actions, except the part that involved a mouth. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s everything, would you be displeased if I went for a rest in my room?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± I said. ¡°Svilran and I need to return to the and check on a few things.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Elma bowed her head. ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me then...¡± She turned to walk to the dorms. Dorth, however, ran up and hugged me one more time before jogging after Elma. Elma saw it and quickly turned on her heels. I thought she was going to hug me too (I would be so blessed) but instead, she got on her tiptoes and whispered into my ear. ¡°Were you all able to hear what we talked about?¡± ¡°Oh, uhh, no, we can¡¯t get sounds, only visuals.¡± Elma smiled and nodded as she backed away. ¡°Good!¡± She spun around and ran up to Dorthaunzee. I watched them depart, perplexed. ¡°Wow, Elma was getting a little flushed. She must have been exhausted.¡± ¡°Fainn... the calculations never take long. They¡¯re done by deific forces.¡± ¡°I know. Can we go to the before you open the results?¡± Episode 010: Aftermath I was sitting at the telescope, looking at the screen anxiously. I was just trying to get a view of the destruction the girls left behind. It was a small miracle that the telescope was still pointed at that world. I was also waiting for Svilran to see the results. ¡°Fainn... This is¡ªthey¡ª¡° ¡°Yup.¡± I opened the Report Screen again. *** After-Mission Report Hero: Elma Completion: 50 Overtime Bonus: 50 Rest Days Earned: 5 days. Penalty: Reckless Endangerment: -25 Hero Merit Earned: ((50+50)-25)= 75 Hero: Dorthaunzee Completion: 50 Overtime Bonus: 50 Rest Days Earned: 5 days. Penalty: Innocent Death (3): -45 Hero Merit Earned: 55 Hero Hub Scoring Hero Multiplier: 2x D-Rank Mission Reward: 75 Penalty Application: 5 Bonus: 0 Total: ((75*2)-5) = 145 *** ¡°This... They had Hero Merit deducted... For the death of innocents?¡± Svilran said with a whimper. ¡°Dorthaunzee... She... There was a child in one of the buildings near where she first used her tentacles. The child was buried alive. Then the second one... The third one¡ªtwo women at that party were crushed by the tentacles.¡± ¡°And then Elma lost 25 points for ¡®Reckless Endangerment... And we got hit a little too...¡¯¡± ¡°And that refers to her decision to allow Dorthaunzee to use a weapon she couldn¡¯t control where innocents were ultimately killed... We¡¯ll have to¡ª¡° Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°We¡¯re not telling them,¡± I sniped. ¡°Fainn?! Why not? They deserve to know!¡± ¡°Not now!¡± I yelled, my eyes glued to the points breakdown. ¡°Not now... You can convince me to tell Elma in a few days, but I am not telling Dorthaunzee.¡± I held the space between my eyes. ¡°At least not right away?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Svilran repeated, having been taken to the verge of tears. ¡°Dorthaunzee¡ªshe¡¯s doing her best. I don¡¯t want to ruin that for her right now. She¡¯s trying to learn how to control those tentacles, too. She¡¯s trying to turn her curse into something that can help others.¡± I shook my head as I wore an empty smile. ¡°We are not going to set that girl back. We do not know how fragile they are right now, either. They need to know they¡¯re doing okay.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t just let them think this was okay¡ª¡° ¡°And we won¡¯t!¡± I banged the console with a fist. ¡°We¡¯ll tell Elma in a few days, okay? We¡¯ll explain it to her, and she¡ª¡° I cut myself short and rubbed my temples. I had to get the image of her breaking down out of my head. ¡°She... she can probably handle it. And she¡¯ll probably know how to improve... I trust Elma to be capable of that much.¡± I glanced at Svilran, who was shaking, and got up. ¡°Svilran,¡± I said as I reached for her. She backed away by one step and looked down as she held her trembling hands to her chest. I... must have scared her. I stepped closer and gently wrapped my hands around her. ¡°Svilran, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care about your opinion... It¡¯s just... I¡¯m scared of hurting those girls. They¡¯re Heroes who had their potential cut short once. Heroes who only get to live because of us. I¡¯m terrified of screwing up these fragile existences that we¡¯re being handed.¡± ¡°I... I can understand that,¡± Svilran whispered. ¡°I just... I really don¡¯t think we should keep this from them for long. Can you imagine how Dorthaunzee will feel if she finds out a year from now? I understand we should be careful, but there¡¯s more we have to consider...¡± I thought about it¡ªa year from now. Just the thought of hiding something for a year¡ªdamn it. Even I could see the betrayal of trust. ¡°She trusts us!¡± Svilran said, almost as if she knew what I was thinking. ¡°They trust us. That¡¯s a precious thing. We can¡¯t betray it... Even if we¡¯re trying to spare their feelings.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t have Dorthaunzee second-guessing herself on the field. I know that can get someone killed.¡± Svilran sniffled and hit her forehead against my chest. ¡°This is hard.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m scared of how hurt Dorthaunzee might be.¡± ¡°I know...¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone.¡± ¡°I know, Fainn.¡± ¡°But we need to raise strong heroes too...¡± I shook my head. ¡°We¡¯ll let them rest. Then we¡¯ll speak with Elma. We¡¯ll make sure Elma is okay. Once we¡¯ve ensured that, the three of us will work out how to communicate it to Dorthaunzee. There¡¯s nothing wrong with broaching the topic with caution, is there?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. We just can¡¯t let it sit for too long.¡± She looked at me and wore a tired smile. ¡°They deserve to know everything¡ªthe good and the bad. They¡¯re going to be fighting the bad¡ªthey can¡¯t be blind to the bad they cause.¡± I took my turn to say, ¡°I know...¡± We both took some time to calm down. We looked through our possible builds, but honestly, we weren¡¯t in the mood to really talk about anything... I did have a structure to build in mind, but the timing wasn¡¯t good. I felt guilty even thinking about the structure... Yeah, we turned in for the night. It had been a long day. *** ¡°What a miserable time.¡± I was on my bed, throwing a wad of socks into the air and catching it. Svilran had turned in an hour ago¡ªI hoped she was sleeping¡ªand I had gone to my room soon after. No sleep for me, though. No, I was too preoccupied with figuring out what to do. If I stripped the emotion from it, the answer was simple. Tell Elma and Dorthaunzee and deal with it together, but it was just that... ¡°I don¡¯t want her to be scared of her powers.¡± One of the unfortunate aspects of +Nightmares ARE Fiction+ was that it required that I be extremely aware of the target¡¯s fears... Whenever the power would be used, I was forced to parse it as if it was my own fear. In other words, I felt the same fear Dorthaunzee did... It was maddening. I just didn¡¯t want to make it worst. Her life was hard enough, I threw the wad of socks into the air. ¡°Fear can paralyze people. Not everyone can overcome it quickly.¡± I caught the wad. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide it only for her to find out later, though.¡± I let out a sigh. ¡°Elma, I hope you can give me some insight... Maybe even just putting it to a vote can help...¡± I closed my eyes. ¡°There¡¯s three of us after all...¡± Episode 010: Aftermath Part 002 Elma was standing in front of the . It was early in the morning, though you couldn¡¯t really tell thanks to the eternal starry sky of the Hero Hub¡ªit just felt like morning. Regardless, I ran up to her¡ªI really wanted to let her know and get her opinion. ¡°Hey, Elma,¡± I said as I raised my hand," I need to talk to you about something¡ª¡° ¡°You mean about how I killed people?¡± I froze up. Elma hadn¡¯t turned to face me. She was just standing in front of the fountain. ¡°How¡ªHow¡¯d you find out?¡± I took a step toward her. ¡°Was it Svilran? Wait, we wanted to tell you together. I¡¯m sorry¡ªwe were going to tell you together.¡± Elma turned on her heels, and I shuddered. She was holding her dagger to her neck while looking straight at me. Tears rolled down her cheek. ¡°Hey, Fainn, what kind of Hero murders innocent people and doesn¡¯t even notice?¡± ¡°Hey, no, that¡¯s not what happened! It was an accident¡ª¡° She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not like them, Fainn. I care about good people. I can¡¯t just close my eyes.¡± She put the dagger to her neck, and blood trickled down her neck. ¡°Elma!¡± With tears in her eyes, she asked, ¡°What kind of person would hide that from us for so long?¡± Before I could move, she ran the knife against her own throat, slitting it. Her eyes rolled toward the back of her head as she crumpled, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. I was frozen in place. Her name was stuck in my throat. Her blood was redder than I imagined it could ever be. ¡°Elm¡ª¡° Someone suddenly pushed me aside as they rushed ahead of me and dropped to their knees in front of Elma¡¯s body. The sudden impact jolted me back into my senses. I looked at the shaking girl kneeling before Elma. ¡°Dorthaunzee...¡± I reached for her. ¡°Whmmmmm?!¡± The strange sound stopped me again. She turned toward me as small tentacles burst from her eyes, rupturing her eyeballs as they did. Sounds were coming from her head. She clawed at the space below her mouth until her finger poked through her skin like it was waxed paper. ¡°WHY?!¡± she screamed through that hole¡ªI had never heard such a voice before. ¡°Wait¡ªDorth¡ª¡° ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us we were murderers?!¡± ¡°Wait¡ªI just wanted to make sure¡ª¡° Dorth grabbed her own head and snapped her neck, shutting me up for good. Black tentacles ripped out from her body, and one grabbed me and hoisted me into the air by the torso. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A sound came from below, and I looked at Dorth, her head hanging at a 90-degree angle. Her lips moved. ¡°I...¡± ¡°Dorth!¡± I yelled. A single tear rolled off her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡° Another tentacle lunged for my neck and tightened around it¡ªI couldn¡¯t breathe. I had to use it¡ª I had to use +Nightmares ARE Fiction+¡ª¡° Wait, nightmares? I closed my eyes and opened them again. And when I did, the scene had changed. Before my eyes was the ceiling of my room, and I was still unable to breathe. I looked down and found a tentacle squeezing my throat. I clawed at it until I finally pulled it off enough to suck in air. ¡°NIghTmaREs ARE FICTION!¡± I wrestled the tentacle binding my torso until it evaporated into nightmare smoke. ¡°Nightmares ARE Fiction!¡± I swatted at the remaining nightmare smoke. ¡°Nightmares ARE Fiction!¡± And it was done¡ªno more nightmares sneaking out of my head. I sat up on the bed and held my head in my hands. I chuckled at my own torment. ¡°Guess this is reaching deep into my head...¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us we were murderers?!¡± I clenched my jaw. ¡°Because I know how terrified you are of what you are.¡± I noticed my tears falling on the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen... But... I only want to bring good things into your life.¡± ¡°That woman is stronger than you know. Trust her and support her.¡± I looked up and around out of reflex. No one was there. I chuckled and shook my head. Any other person would freak out when a disembodied voice reached their ear, but not this guy. No, auditory hallucinations were pretty common for me after waking up from a nightmare. ¡°Even my subconscious is telling me to stop being such a coward.¡± I looked to the side at my nightstand and the watermelon slice I had brought in earlier and left sitting out. ¡°It¡¯s rotten. Why is it rotten? Why does this stick?¡± I sighed and banged my head against the wall for a bit. ¡°Nightmares are supposed to be fiction, dammit. Stop ruining my fresh food.¡± *** I surprised Svilran this morning; I asked her to call Elma down to the house. Now, I was just sitting in the living room, waiting for the two to arrive. My nightmares from last night were weighing on my mind. At this rate, I would keep having nightmares until I resolved this. In that light, I was extremely thankful I could sleep peacefully after the first bout. Yup, the plan now was to speak with Elma and then come to a decision between the three of us. It might be a little strange to bring Elma into the decision, but Elma was essentially the commanding officer, and she, as a Hero, would eventually be making hard decisions when on missions. ¡°Yup, I see no reason to not bring her in... She has a perspective I might lack.¡± I nodded to myself. ¡°This is the best choice.¡± I interlocked my fingers. ¡°We all need to do our best¡ªfor everyone¡¯s sakes.¡± The door opened, and Elma walked in with Svilran following closely behind. Elma was wearing a simple black sweatshirt and sweatpants. She had her messy hair tied back¡ªit was a wonderful look. Svilran, meanwhile, was wearing her nerves on her face. She was wearing an elegant white dress that made her seem confident and in control, though. ¡°I neglected to mention this the first time, but,¡± Elma said as she looked around, ¡°you have quite the humble home.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t live up to your expectations, huh?¡± I asked. Elma jumped and became frantic. ¡°N-No! Not at all! I didn¡¯t mean any offense! Please, don¡¯t read into that¡ªthere¡¯s nothing wrong with being humble.¡± I chided myself for thinking it was a cute reaction and then nodded at her. ¡°It¡¯s okay... That said, I can¡¯t imagine living in a bigger house.¡± While I spoke, Svilran pulled a chair out for Elma and gestured for her to sit. ¡°I think... I spent... seven years, maybe? Seven years living under debris or in broken buildings. This house is humble, but to me, it feels like a mansion.¡± ¡°Aww, Fainn,¡± Svilran said. She sat down next to me and rubbed my shoulders. Elma locked eyes with me. ¡°I understand. I feel blessed to have such a wonderful room. I can¡¯t imagine anything greater at the moment.¡± I chuckled bitterly. ¡°These are the most basic forms of these dwellings, and here are two people so traumatized they can¡¯t dare ask for more... That¡¯s funny in a way.¡± Elma chuckled. ¡°I suppose so... Normal persons would wish for more.¡± We shared a moment of silence as we wallowed. Then, Svilran stepped in. ¡°Hey, Fainn, didn¡¯t we call Elma here for something important?¡± I sighed. ¡°Right.¡± I looked at Elma, straight-faced. ¡°We need to tell you something about the last mission.¡± Episode 010: Aftermath Part 03 And so, we explained the situation and the points that were lost. Elma took it all in while keeping her eyes on the ceiling. ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°under my direction, Dorthaunzee accidentally killed three.¡± Elma closed her eyes and took a breath. ¡°And here I thought we only fell the deserving... I even looked to check on the other women...¡± Elma opened her eyes. She had a solemn look to her. I was silent. Svilran spoke for us instead. ¡°We wanted to ask you what you thought about telling Dorthaunzee. I would like to not keep this from her, but Fainn is concerned about how she¡¯ll react.¡± ¡°As he should be,¡± Elma calmly said, surprising me. ¡°Every person has something they are well-suited for. Some are better at handling bad news than others...¡± She looked at both of us. ¡°First of all, thank you both for finding me worthy. I appreciate that. As for Dorthaunzee, I think it was a good idea to not just tell us yesterday.¡± She placed her hand on her chest. ¡°I can assure you, I am not upset that you broached this topic with caution. As for Dorthaunzee... I was in communication with that young, alien woman for hours yesterday. The longer I was connected with her, the more it felt like the boundaries between our minds dissolved.¡± Elma¡¯s stare became serious. ¡°I know very well how often that woman feels crippling fear¡ªhow often she invokes it. Every four to six minutes, she thinks of what terrifies her. That¡¯s how often she tries to keep her curse under control. Someone like that, who has to mentally torture herself, cannot be expected to be stable and resistant to all stimulus.¡± I let out a breath. Someone else really was echoing my concerns. Svilran, though, pouted. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to tell her?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, Madam Goddess.¡± Elma smiled. ¡°I think we should tell her, but very carefully.¡± Elma shifted her gaze to me. ¡°When Dorthaunzee fills herself with fear, I don¡¯t feel any regret or anger. As soon as it passes, she is happy again. Do you know what that suggests to me?¡± We were both quiet as we waited for her answer. ¡°She wants to improve. As I understand, she doesn¡¯t need to use fear to keep the tentacles under control, but she does it because it¡¯s effective. That indicates that there¡¯s much more going on beneath that kind demeanor. She willfully subjects herself to mental anguish in the service of a greater good.¡± Elma chuckled. ¡°Though, maybe that¡¯s the disposition of a holy woman?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Hero in the making, after all,¡± Svilran whispered, a smile returning to her face. ¡°I can tell you one last thing, though,¡± Elma¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Dorthaunzee doesn¡¯t invoke her fear when she¡¯s here. I know she feels incredibly relieved here, thanks to that mushroom that I only took off hours after settling into my room. After seeing the way the tentacle behaved, we all can guess why¡ª¡° ¡°Fainn!¡± Svilran said, delighted. ¡°That¡¯s right. Fainn¡¯s presence by itself terrifies the tentacles so much that they won¡¯t dare activate. The Hero Hub is where Dorthaunzee is the freest! Couple Fainn¡¯s effect with Svilran¡¯s effect on us¡ª¡° This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Huh?¡± Svilran said, looking at Elma and I, perplexed. Elma didn¡¯t notice, though, and I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡ªand the conclusion is clear.¡± I nodded. ¡°The best place to tell Dorthaunzee is here, because this is the only place where she¡¯ll be at her strongest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯ll tell her, and when we do, we¡¯ll be there to ensure that she processes it well and that her curse doesn¡¯t harm her. Above all else, she must know that, though we were penalized, it is something we must carry with us and use it to do better.¡± I was feeling more confident. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± Elma raised a finger. ¡°One thing, however. Perhaps you could elucidate?¡± Svilran and I shared confused looks and looked at Elma. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do this, I need to understand why this was so wrong,¡± Elma said. ¡°I thought the afterlife is real. Why does it matter so gravely when we know the dead have somewhere to go?¡± I looked at Svilran, and she nodded. ¡°Life is precious,¡± Svilran said, her tone somber. ¡°That is a fundamental truth. Just because some worlds may have an afterlife, it does not follow that living is a worthless exercise. There are things that can only be done and growth that can only be had in a ¡®living¡¯ life. The other factor one should consider is that the afterlives are not created equal. We, also, do not have the means to probe the afterlives deeply. For all we know, one afterlife could be paradise, but another could condemn all its inhabitants to suffer relative to our understanding of suffering. In this realm of infinite worlds, there are certainly worlds ruled by cruel randomness and unavoidable apathy. Of course, there could be a world and an afterlife completely swallowed by evil. That is why we cannot rest easy and tell ourselves it is okay to let the innocent die in service of the good.¡± Elma was stunned. She stammered for a bit before bowing her head. ¡°My apologies, Madam Goddess! I didn¡¯t think that was the case!¡± Svilran waved her hands frantically. ¡°No, no, please raise your head! It¡¯s okay! It¡¯s best that we have an awareness of how foreign the worlds can be.¡± Elma raised her head. ¡°Okay, I feel that I am better equipped now to care for Dorthaunzee should the need arise.¡± ¡°Hey, Elma,¡± I said. She looked at me, curious. ¡°I just want to say that I think you¡¯re spectacular.¡± She pulled a warm smile out of me. ¡°Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.¡± She reciprocated. ¡°Thank you for letting me speak... And... Thank you for trusting me. I have an inkling that it was hard for you... especially because you witnessed how... hurt we could be. Knowing that you saw that and still opted to tell me...¡± She showed me a toothy grin as her eyes watered. ¡°Thank you so much for believing in me. I promise I¡¯ll never betray your faith.¡± I scratched my cheek as I tried to hold back the waterworks. ¡°Don¡¯t build me up so much. It was hard¡ª¡° ¡°There is nothing wrong with experiencing difficulty,¡± Elma said. ¡°It¡¯s the difficult things that help people grow, Fainn,¡± Svilran followed. ¡°Speaking of that... I want to share what it is I want the Heroes to be.¡± The two listened to me intently. ¡°Life is difficult, and there will always be tough situations, but I want the Heroes we help to be the kind of people who will always try to do their best while also not turning their eyes from the times they weren¡¯t able to be the best. Heroes who failed and still tried¡ªI would rather them over any Hero who has never been less than perfect. A perfect Hero doesn¡¯t need our help. I¡¯m here for you, Elma.¡± Elma¡¯s cheeks went a little red. ¡°And others like me, I hope.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I looked at Svilran one last time. ¡°Let¡¯s talk to Dorthaunzee. There¡¯s something I want to do to celebrate a mission well done, but we won¡¯t be able to do so until this mission is completed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m right behind you, Fainn! Should I go get her?¡± Svilran asked, already out of her chair. ¡°No, let¡¯s go to her.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± Elma said, standing from her chair. ¡°She¡¯s over by the fountain right now. She was heading there when Madam Goddess came for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I got up from the chair and headed out, the girls behind me. ¡°Let¡¯s face reality together.¡± Episode 010: Aftermath Part 04 We found Dorthaunzee kneeling before the fountain, praying. Seeing the image of a pious nun¡ªman, I felt guilty that we were about to deliver some bad news. Just then, someone nudged my arm. I looked at Elma. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re going to tell her, and we will comfort her if need be. It will be fine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right... Hey Dorthaunzee, we need to speak with you.¡± She looked at us¡ªher eyes were so bright. So, we told her that her tentacles accidentally killed three innocent people. (Of course, we did it gently with Svilran and her aura leading the charge.)Throughout it all, I watched as her eyes went from surprise to teary until she was rubbing her eyes and sniffling. It was hard for us too. She had connected mushrooms to us so that we could communicate. Thanks to that, her feelings were coming through to us very clearly. She was hurting. We kept an eye for tentacles too, thinking they might react, but nothing came out. All we had before us was a crying young lady whose pain we were painfully aware of. She was still crying and kneeling when I kneeled with her. ¡°Hey, listen.¡± She looked at me with tears in her eyes. ¡°It was an accident.¡± I held her hand, and she tightened her grip on it. ¡°You¡¯re not a bad person. None of us think that.¡± ¡°But I hurt people,¡± was the first feeling we got. ¡°It¡¯s more my fault than it is yours, Dorthaunzee,¡± Elma said. ¡°I told you to weaponize your tentacles.¡± Dorthaunzee shook her head, but Elma directed her next question to Svilran. ¡°Can I not transfer my Hero Merit to Dorthaunzee? She shouldn¡¯t have to suffer so many deductions because of my direction.¡± Svilran, glum, shook her head. ¡°No. That is not possible. Hero Merit can not be passed between Heroes.¡± ¡°Elma, don¡¯t bother fighting the rules beyond that,¡± I said. ¡°Dorthaunzee, listen, we don¡¯t want to forget what happened here. We don¡¯t want you to either. We all know you¡¯re a good person. We want you to keep doing your best.¡± ¡°And remember Dorthaunzee,¡± Elma said, ¡°we were fighting a tough opponent in that assassin. We relied on you because it was the best shot we had at the time. The best way to prevent something like that from happening is¡ªactually, can you answer what the best way is?¡± Dorthaunzee nodded. Her eyes began reflecting strength. ¡°Become better Heroes!¡± was the feeling she conveyed, extracting smiles from us. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Elma said. ¡°If we¡¯re strong enough, we won¡¯t have to rely on a power we can¡¯t control. Zee, are you committed to being the best Hero you can be despite this accident?¡± Dorthaunzee nodded many times, especially delighted by her new nickname. She quickly turned to me and hugged me. I was surprised at first, but I hugged her back. She was still sad, but there were other emotions mixed in there¡ªtoo many for me to comprehend. It felt like that hug went on for many minutes, but it couldn¡¯t have. Regardless, I was happy. ¡°... We¡¯re all in this together.¡± I looked at Svilran, who looked like she was about to shed tears of relief. ¡°This wasn¡¯t as scary as I thought it would be.¡± Svilran grinned as tears slipped out of her eyes. ¡°They¡¯re our wonderful Heroes, after all. They have reservoirs of strength that would amaze gods.¡± ¡°And we can actually confirm that.¡± Afterward, Dorthaunzee asked for a few moments so that she could pray for the fallen. We all followed her lead and prayed along with her. I personally didn¡¯t want to foster the idea that killing innocent people in the service of a mission was something we could just pray away, but I was certain these girls wouldn¡¯t dare think that. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Even now, we could all feel that truth radiating from Dorth. She was staying strong, but she had deep regrets... Only time would tell whether those regrets would serve as fuel or weights. *** [Author Note: If you''re reading this chapter outside of Scribblehub or Royal Road, it''s plagiarized. Please consider reporting the work, especially if on Amazon.] After ensuring Dorthaunzee was comfortable, we went over their final point values and thanked them for their hard work. It was then that Svilran revealed something that I myself missed¡ªa letter from the Hero, Rodan. Elma reacted with surprise. ¡°The Hero sent us a letter?¡± And Dorthaunzee reacted with excited clapping. ¡°The Hero cast his wish into the stars, and this is how it reached us¡ªhis Letter of Thanks,¡± Svilran said. ¡°I want us all to hear what he said and remember why we act and try to persevere, no matter how many personal setbacks we suffer.¡± With that, Svilran began reading the letter in earnest. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you were, but thank you for helping me! I swear! I won¡¯t waste the chance you gave me! And don¡¯t worry about the destruction in the slums! It was a hard fight! My party and I will do our best to help the relief efforts! You, whoever you were, thank you for saving me! I¡¯ll save a thousand people in return! I promise!¡± Hearing the Hero¡¯s thoughts put smiles on our faces. We were certainly in a strange position, but we knew we were doing meaningful work. ¡°So,¡± I cautiously said, ¡°I know we just got over some heavy stuff, but I thought we should do something to commemorate this¡ªyou two returning after a kind of scary mission. Maybe we can also dedicate this to the lives lost in the process.¡± ¡°That feels a little weird, Fainn,¡± Svilran said with a complicated look on her face. ¡°We can¡¯t just mope around forever. Life is going to go on, and we¡¯re going to still experience difficulties.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Elma said. ¡°It¡¯s a little awkward, but we have to carry on. It¡¯s okay to enjoy bouts of happiness amidst the tribulations. We can¡¯t just bar moments of levity, especially considering we have to go back to work in a few days¡¯ time... There might come a day where we wish we could carve out some time to celebrate. So...¡± Elma smiled at us after looking up at the sky. ¡°I think we should take advantage of any happy moments we can make. When things get hard, these moments might be what we all fall back on to keep us upright.¡± Dorthaunzee jumped up, and a thought reached us. ¡°Could we make a goal? Develop the Hero Hub so that we can learn more about a world¡¯s afterlife?¡± I may have filled in some of the parts there. Anyway, some other feelings reached me. I couldn¡¯t put them all into words, but I got some idea.. ¡°You want to give the dead peace...¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. Saving both the living and the dead¡ªI think that¡¯s something pretty heroic.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Elma followed. ¡°I like the idea too,¡± Svilran said. ¡°But at the moment, none of the facilities we can build let us do that.¡± I wore a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I said. ¡°We have time to figure it out.¡± And so, we all came to an agreement¡ªwe had a new goal¡ªfigure out more about the afterlives of the worlds. Considering what Svilran mentioned before about the possibility of evil tainting some afterlives, it made me confident there was a way to do it. After all, if afterlives were being targeted, then we needed to be able to save them. ¡°The living should remember the dead, not be chained by them!¡± That thought from Dorthaunzee was a welcome way to cap off the moment. With her blessing, I told the girls what I thought we could do to celebrate their victory. ¡°I looked at what we could build. There¡¯s this building called a . It offers facilities for residents to cook in, but the more unique feature is that it has certain meals you can get in exchange for Resource Points.¡± I grinned. ¡°How about we pick one of those meals¡ª The Feast?¡± The girls, though we had just gotten past a sad moment, responded with curiosity and wonder. Carried by that feeling, the girls and I went to the northeastern section of the Hub. There, I opened up the Build Menu with Svilran watching me and selected the . This was our first official build, so both she and I were curious about how it would work. It all began with an incredible display of light. The perimeter of the building was outlined, and then blocks of light would form in the sky and then land on the ground, where they then settled. We were all captivated by the display. But as we quickly realized, this was going to take a while. Investigating the Build Menu revealed it would take four hours for the building to be completed. We had been able to avoid build-times before¡ªmost likely¡ªbecause of Svilran¡¯s deific power. We didn¡¯t really mind, though. We all just kind of sat and watched the structure form with the kind of wonder a child would have. While we sat, we also talked more about the last mission. Elma was very set on trying to figure out what they would need to improve on. Unfortunately, we still didn¡¯t have anywhere we could use the Hero Merit, but Elma was happy to be accumulating the currency. Dorthaunzee was also very active in the conversation and was hopeful she could use her Hero Merit for something worthwhile later. Four hours later, the was complete. It looked like a wood lodge and had a couple of stone chimneys at the back. It really made me feel like we had to plant some trees around it. I walked up to the building and glanced over my shoulder. ¡°Well, everyone ready to check it out?¡± Episode 010: Aftermath Part 05- The Inner Thoughts Of A Nun 02 My Lord, I pray you to protect me from the dangers of the road, and from the evil eye of those who would seek to harm me, and from the wrath of my enemies. My Lord, I pray you protect dreamers from my nefarious curse. May they not suffer the same fate as I. ¡°Hey, Dorthaunzee, we need to speak with you.¡± My Savior speaks to me! Has he come to tell me a fable and to teach me a lesson? So that I may grow in wisdom and grace? I am your lost sheep. I have wandered far away from my flock. I am alone. I am lost. I am helpless. I am yours. Brandish your toothy whip and correct my errant path. Guide me, oh Savior... Perhaps I should peel away the cloths that hug my body? My body would better learn its lesson¡ªoh, allow me to lend you a passage into my thoughts! ¡°So, it¡¯s about the last mission...¡± ..... .... ... Pardon me? I killed three people? And I did not know. I¡¯ve done wrong, and I didn¡¯t even know? I could be so cruel? But I do not understand! I saw no light in that dark alley. And at that foul party, my companion startled the innocent dreamers away. Did my Eternal Darkness still reach them? Fool, fool, thrice a fool; how could you be so blind, Infernal Dorthaunzee? Fool, fool, thrice a fool; how could you think to pray, drenched in blood of whose you know not the name? Salvation will not come for me. There is no hope. No help. No Savio-- ¡°Hey, listen.¡± My Savior? You would still look upon me so kindly? ¡°It was an accident.¡± There are accidents that should never be allowed to happen--HARK! He is holding my hand! He has reached out to my filthy thing! How can this turn? I could not be so rewarded for something so foul! ¡°You¡¯re not a bad person. None of us think that.¡± How could that be true? I brutally snuffed out the light of dreamers and buried it beneath the soil. ¡°It¡¯s more my fault than it is yours, Dorthaunzee.¡± No, Elma! Please do not bear this burden! Your shoulders are tired, and your soul cries. No more should impale you! ¡°I told you to weaponize your tentacles. Can I not transfer my Hero Merit to Dorthaunzee? She shouldn¡¯t have to suffer so many deductions because of my direction.¡± Could someone truly be so kind? Even after bearing witness to the wanton destruction I leave in my wake? Most dreamers... they ran from me at the mere sight of me. But Elma would stay? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Dorthaunzee, listen, we don¡¯t want to forget what happened here. We don¡¯t want you to either.¡± My Savior? Why do you cast your gaze upon me in such a manner? Am I not to be punished? To be cast aside? I did something so disgusting. I killed without knowing the dreamer¡¯s face. ¡°We all know you¡¯re a good person.¡± You do? Truly? I am! I really am! Or no; I try! I swear I try! I live so that one day I may call myself good! ¡°We want you to keep doing your best.¡± I wish to do the best I can as well! ¡°And remember Dorthaunzee--¡° Elma? You still have kind words in your heart for me. Yes, I¡¯m listening. Forgive me for engorging myself. I never knew this could be so sweet. ¡°We were fighting a tough opponent in that assassin. We relied on you because it was the best shot we had at the time. The best way to prevent something like that from happening is¡ªactually, can you answer what the best way is?¡± The best way... If you wish to keep me by your side and not cast me away. If you wish to forgive, then there is only one option left to me... I MUST CAST THIS FOUL BODY INTO THE MOST PURIFYING SACRED FLAME. I must be broken down to my rawest form and be remade. My impurities must be removed, and I must drag myself from the ashes. Only then may I be able to be of service and help the others below my Savior become better heroes! I thought myself weak--that impurity plagued me still. I used it as cover to hide, but no more. I have come forth from the shadows my slothful nature cast, and have entered the light. I have exposed myself, and I am no longer afraid of the trials that may await. My weakness gave way to tragedy. Dreamers have fallen to my Eternal Darkness, but their faces were always known, and my light was always reflected in their eyes. Showing them the light that points toward my Lord is the only mercy that I MUST afford them. ¡°Zee, are you committed to being the best Hero you can be despite this accident?¡± I am committed. I am more committed than I ever fathomed I could be to anyone other than my Lord. I will do whatever you ask of me until the day that I am no longer an eyesore. I sacrifice all that I have. My Savior! Take me in your arms. I throw myself to your mercy. Baptize me in your flames and burn my tainted soul. I will embrace the fearful heat of your love, and I will reject the comfort of your mercy. I will let myself be consumed. Take me into your glorious mouths and remind me of the putrid ooze that I am. Chew me and spit me out. Tell me the decrepit nectars leaking from my body are not enough for your glorious tongue. The words will pierce my heart, but-- Ahh, your embrace. It feels so comforting. Your hands wrapping around me--is this the paradise my Lord led me to? Tell me I¡¯ve failed. Tell me to strip myself bare. Tell me to reveal all to you in hopes that you can salvage some meager thing. Tell me, and I shall do whatever is necessary. Please, just say the words. A sinner has no need for shame. ¡°... We¡¯re all in this together.¡± Pardon me? That is what you say? ... I see... Am I like Elma and the goddess of the Hero Hub to you, My Savior? You would elevate me so? If you speak like that... how could I ever improve by scorning myself? I don¡¯t know any other way... A prayer is required. If you refuse to treat me as I deserve to be treated, I must change my path. I must find the strength to not grow conceited and comfortable. I request a time for prayer. Oh! You will pray too?! Oh my! My Lord, My Lord on High, Hark! My friends wish to commune with you! ... My Lord, She Who Shepherds The Shepherds, I beg for your forgiveness. I pray you were watching over me, and that you succeeded where I failed. I know well that when I cross the endless desert of time and look over my shoulder; the footprints left in the sand are yours. I pray for the souls who were lost, unknown to their killer. I pray for Elma, who carries a darkness I wish to alleviate. I pray for My Savior, for without whom I would be lost. I pray for the goddess, so filled with regrets. I pray for the strength to be able to improve on myself despite being so full of euphoric joy. ... I pray that these days never end. Episode 011: The Feast And… Elma reached across me. ¡°Could you please pass that golden meat of the gods, Zee?¡± Dorth nodded many times, her lantern wobbling above her head and shining brighter than usual. She went to grab a piece of the ¡®golden meat,¡¯ ¡ªor a fried chicken wing as I called it¡ªbut I snatched it before Dorth could and bit it. ¡°You¡¯ve been nibbling on too much of these, Elma,¡± I said with a sly smile and the wing hanging from my mouth. She came closer to me, the smell of the Feast¡¯s alcohol drifting from her lips, her eyes half closed. ¡°Can one blame me for being enamored by a feast worthy of the gods?¡± She came close, and in a movement not impaired by her intoxication, she snatched the wing with her mouth. Delighted, she held it gently and took a small bite. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare not keep this down,¡± she teased. Meanwhile, Dorth had a wing that she was waving around, utterly displeased that she was being ignored. ¡°Mwah, this wine is tastyyy!¡± Svilran declared from the other side of the table. She was on her third bottle and still going strong... I was starting to think she was once a goddess of booze with how she pounded them back. This was the kind of atmosphere we had managed to settle into after erecting the Building. It looked like the kind of dining hall you¡¯d expect to see in a fantasy village, with the slight exception of the kitchen. That part looked relatively modern with all manners of complex utensils. The appliances were modern but with the texture of a fantasy hall. Appliance-wise, for this level, we got an oven, stove, three sinks, and a blender. I really hoped we would be at a stage where we could one day use that kitchen. Anyway, what we were using now was the Kitchen Menu feature. In exchange for 100 Resource Points, we were able to purchase the Feast menu item out of three possible choices. This produced a mind-blowing spread on one of the eight tables for us to enjoy. Fresh fruits, meat, veggies, drinks, and booze¡ªit was more than I expected... Very worth the points. Anyway, it was all very familiar foods, though... I wondered if there was a way to enjoy foods from other worlds. Unfortunately, the food would disappear twelve hours after it was produced, and after selecting the menu item, it would need to cool-down for many days. Still, no one was regretting the choice one hour into the Feast. ¡°I have a proposal,¡± Elma said as she wobbled. ¡°From now on, whenever anyone completes a hard mission, a celebration should be had! There must always be a meal ready for a Hero! Heroes should always come home to a warm place!¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s!¡± Svilran chimed, raising her wine bottle in absolute agreement. I smiled and shrugged. ¡°If it¡¯s feasible, I don¡¯t see why not. What do you think, Dorth?¡± She nodded happily before placing food in her lantern. Yup. That was how she ¡®ate.¡¯ The mystery was solved. The lantern light would burn the food, and she would absorb it. She seemed delighted and was trying everything. We were happy that she could be involved too. Anyway, we lifted our glasses and cheered. This was where it really felt like we started our Hero Hub in earnest. The night went on for three more hours. At that point, Dorth was so full she was starting to doze off. When the adorable nun¡¯s head fell against my shoulder, Svilran took that as the signal to take Dorth home. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to walk Dorthaunzee to her room.¡± She went and helped Dorth up¡ªor tried to. The girl had hooked her arms around mine and seemed like she didn¡¯t want to let go... I was in heaven. She was just too adorable for my barren heart. Please struggle, Svilran. She may not have your aura, but this is still the stuff of dreams. Eventually, Svilran pried her off and helped her out the door. ¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late you two,¡± Svilran said, strangely as intoxicated as she was three hours ago despite all the alcohol she had consumed. In fact, I was looking at the table. There were twelve empty wine bottles¡ªI¡¯m not sure she actually had food. ¡°That woman must be a goddess of alcohol.¡± ¡°Oh, come now.¡± Elma rubbed her shoulder against mine. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude to our Goddess. She must be as enraptured by this food as we are.¡± Elma¡¯s eyelids were heavy, but she still had a plate of food before her that she was happy to nibble on. The two of us had not been eating as quickly as Dorth had been, largely because our stomachs were still on the mend. In Elma¡¯s case, she could eat little pieces at a time without becoming ill. I, meanwhile, fared better, but I had matched my pace to hers... I hadn¡¯t really noticed I did that until many hours later. ¡°So you have five rest days you earned. Are you going to use them?¡± ¡°I think so... A body must rest so that it may take advantage of its new potentials.¡± She poured some wine and swished it around. ¡°What about you two? Are you going to work on improving the Hub tomorrow?¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. I took a bite out of a golden steak. ¡°Probably. This Building cost a pretty penny, but we have enough to create a new plot of land... Yeah, we might spend most of the day searching for another Hero and new missions.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Elma broke a piece of a cracker as she looked at me from the corner of her eye. She playfully placed it in her mouth and licked her lips. I was flustered. She was a beautiful woman, after all. That mana she was radiating from her arms didn¡¯t change that. I took a gulp of water and looked at my plate. ¡°Thank you for your help with Dorth... It went way better than I thought it would... Heh, I¡¯m a little embarrassed about how worked up I was.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe it was a bit silly.¡± ¡°Ack. Ouch. Sorry.¡± Elma smiled as she kept her eyes on her plate. ¡°I¡¯d rather you be someone that errs on the side of caution, though. Madam Goddess is clearly prone to idealism¡ªthat idealism can blind someone to anything that is less than ideal. To be perfectly honest, I thought that was by design at first. I thought you two were twin gods that served to balance the other out.¡± ¡°Twin gods?¡± I shook my head, my brow furrowed. ¡°No, I was a mortal... I don¡¯t think it was by design. Svilran was the one that picked me. We later picked you in the same manner.¡± ¡°Yes, I got the feeling that was the case later on... Still, I want you to know I don¡¯t think you were wrong to question whether or not Dorthaunzee was capable of handling the truth.¡± ¡°Thank you... I think I veered too hard into the camp that she couldn¡¯t, though.¡± ¡°Well, now we have the luxury of hindsight... Like I said, I prefer the caution. I also preferred being brought into the decision. That was wise.¡± Elma sighed. ¡°The truth is, people are capable of handling different things, and that isn¡¯t just determined by physical traits.¡± ¡°By physical traits, are you talking about how the worlds we can send you to are ones where your gray skin wouldn¡¯t raise flags?¡± She looked at me with a raised brow and a coy smile. ¡°How were you able to understand exactly what I was referring to?¡± ¡°I had a feeling of where you were going to take this conversation.¡± Elma chuckled. ¡°Right. You aren¡¯t blinded by idealism... You said you could see what happened on the ground. How did you feel when you saw what I did to those bastards?¡± ¡°I was... I think the best way to say it is that I was more concerned about you than I was with them.¡± ¡°I see...¡± She took a small bite of a piece of celery. ¡°When you told me that I was penalized, I ended up being happy and relieved.¡± ¡°Because you weren¡¯t penalized for killing villains, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Elma swirled the wine in her glass as she gazed at it. ¡°I know what idealistic heroes look like. When I was property and being shown off, I would chat with others who were born outside of breeding farms. They had all sorts of stories of noble Witherspells who would always fight righteously and with honor. They believed in redemption and that everyone could be saved¡ªapparently, they were the heroes from our legends. It didn¡¯t make sense to me why people clung to them and hoped they would return one day. ¡°To me, it was obvious¡ªthose heroes had perished against the undead that enslaved us. Mercy was something that would get them killed. That was why no one came to save us. Our evil was too warped for a righteous sword to pierce.¡± Her tone turned chilly. ¡°Warped evil requires a warped weapon to strike it down. A weapon with jagged edges that tears when it enters, scrapes as it travels, and hooks before it exits. When I saw that I was penalized¡ªand that it was actually a reasonable penalty¡ªI knew it to be true... Creation itself is done with this evil. In such a reality, MY warped weapon can be just as heroic.¡± I rested my head on my hand. ¡°There are all kinds of evils out there¡ªI¡¯m sure there exists evil we can¡¯t begin to fathom... So I get it. I think... given the situation, we shouldn¡¯t be shying away from... unsettling means. The really evil people are the types who know how to operate within society¡¯s rules without being caught by the idealistic types. Those sorts of people can be difficult to take down because they¡¯ll usually be protected by the society that peace fostered.¡± ¡°I would agree.¡± ¡°On that note, don¡¯t forget our position. We have to exercise care because we don¡¯t have to deal with the aftermath. For instance, you killed someone important. You saved the Hero, but what if that country experiences upheaval afterward and hundreds end up dying?¡± ¡°I... considered that...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll happen, but we have to be aware of how much weight¡ªas outsiders¡ªwe have and always be vigilant.¡± ¡°Yes sir...¡± I tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t mean to take the wind out of your sails.¡± She looked at my hand. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡± She bit her lip, took my hand, lifted it, and rested her back against my torso. She capped off the sudden movement by placing my hand on her lap, where she held it with her own. She then quickly bit off another piece of celery. ¡°I think idealistic heroes are valuable and are certainly necessary for some scenarios, but I believe people like me are necessary for other scenarios.¡± ¡°I agree with you,¡± I said, still stunned and unable to think. ¡°I don¡¯t want Dorthaunzee to have to trouble herself with the morality of a final solution. She seems so pious and innocent¡ªI¡¯d like for her to be someone who is celebrated.¡± ¡°I... Well, I would like to celebrate both of you, but I can do that whenever.¡± ¡°So, Lord of the Hero Hub, do you accept me? This warped self?¡± She played with my fingers as she waited for an answer. I smiled. ¡°It feels like you¡¯re the one being overly cautious now.¡± I was feeling ambitious¡ªmaybe the alcohol was greasing the wheels. I freed my hand from her grip and quickly placed it on her shoulder, wrapping my arm around her, and pulled her in closer. I could feel her heartbeat clearly. ¡°Ask me how I felt when I saw that man lay hands on you.¡± She held my arm with shaking fingers. ¡°How did you feel?¡± ¡°I was incredibly upset.¡± Her grip on my arm tightened. My heart was beating like crazy now too. ¡°I¡ªI¡ªumm¡ªhmm¡ªI¡ª¡° She was stammering a lot. A lot more than I could convey. Finally, she took a big breath in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for letting him touch me like that.¡± That caught me off-guard. ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me for that. You suffered at that moment too.¡± ¡°Right. Of course.¡± Her hand flew toward her cup of wine, but she knocked it over. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Not a problem.¡± I let go of her¡ª ¡°Oh...¡± she whimpered. ¡ªwiped up the wine and poured her a fresh glass. Then, when she looked at me, I chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were so easily flustered, Elma.¡± She looked at me and giggled. Then she lightly punched my chest. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. I¡¯m dining with a god I happen to like. Could one expect more from me at this moment?¡± My ears were burning. ¡°You like me?¡± She rested her elbows on the table and then her chin in both hands, and looked at me out of the corner of her eye. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little dizzy... Could you escort me back to my room, Fainn?¡± Episode 011: The Feast And Elma’s… [IMAGE] ¡°The air¡ªit feels so free, Fainn!¡± Elma said as she clumsily walked ahead of me. She jogged to the boundary of our world and held out her hand as she walked along the edge. Elma had pleaded with me to walk along the edge of the land. That edge¡ªwe hadn¡¯t really talked about it before. It was mysterious. The sky was always that lit starry sky as far as the eye could see. What lay beneath that starry sky was its reflection. That ocean was as calm as glass¡ªit was only disturbed when it met our land. We could dip our feet in, and we could scoop up water, but our chests¡ªour hearts¡ªcouldn¡¯t get past the boundary. It added to the magic of our Hero Hub. And, in a weird way, kind of reminded us how separate we were from the rest of reality. Seeing Elma embrace that beauty was magical in its own right. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Fainn?¡± she said, bending over as she smiled slyly. ¡°You¡¯re wearing a goofy look.¡± ¡°Yeah, beautiful things always get that look out of me.¡± She looked at me and just stared for a few seconds before she started chuckling. ¡°Yes, this ocean is beautiful... You should do something to fix that face, though. In my world, that would have attracted too many probing hands.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That got me serious. Maybe it even sobered me up. She giggled, though¡ªlooked like she just wanted to get that look off my face. Unfortunately for her, karma acted swiftly, and she almost fell over. ¡°Fainn?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡± I caught her by the shoulders, extremely careful to not press on her stomach. Holding her now, I really realized how light she was. ¡°Fainn?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah?¡± ¡°Could you help me stand up straight?¡± I shook myself out of my daze and helped her stand. Immediately after I did, she cocked her head, smiled, and fell toward my chest. ¡°I changed my mind. You must help me walk.¡± I hid my giggle. ¡°No problem.¡± We walked together all the way back to the dorms. She stumbled a few times, but whenever she did, she would just bump into my side more. The toughest part was getting her up the stairs." ¡°One foot in front of the other, Elma.¡± ¡°I grew another pair of feet, Fainn!¡± She laughed out loud. ¡°You might need to carry me!¡± We managed to get to the top after many laughs. ¡°So here we are,¡± I said as we stood before her room¡¯s door. ¡°That we are.¡± She turned on her heels, opened her door, and walked in. I just kind of stood awkwardly in front of it¡ªshe was really swift with that move. She then poked her head out and squinted at me. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Fainn, are you not coming in?¡± My eyes went wide. ¡°I can?¡± She shook her head, sighed, and then pulled it back in. ¡°Oh,¡± I said, kicking myself a little. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been so hesitant.¡± Then her hand flew out, grabbed me by the collar, and pulled me in. *** Water was running in the bathroom, and Elma was humming a tune. I was standing outside the door, utterly at a loss. She had told me to stay in case she ¡®slipped and fell and couldn¡¯t get up.¡¯ I thought it made sense, but I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen next. It was like there was a giant pile-up in my head¡ªthe girl had me that flustered. Finally, the door flew open, and Elma stepped out, wrapped in a white towel while drying her hair with another towel. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re still here,¡± she said. ¡°Uhh. You told me to stay.¡± She grinned from ear to ear. ¡°I know. I was just teasing.¡± She walked past me and looked over her shoulder. ¡°A god can take a little teasing, can¡¯t he?¡± Goddammit. The way the night¡¯s silvery light landed on her skin made her seem one hundred times more enchanting than normal. She must have known the effect she had on me¡ªwhy would she smile so coyly if she didn¡¯t. ¡°You have that goofy look on your face again... What¡¯s got your eye?¡± ¡°The woman in the towel, obviously.¡± Her eyes went wide for a second as she dropped the towel she was drying her head with. She cleared her throat and sat on her bed. I just stared at her. ¡°Come on, then,¡± she said, patches of her cheeks turning red. She patted the spot next to her, and I sat there. ¡°Elma... What are we doing?¡± ¡°I...¡± She tried to stifle a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± Her eyes shifted toward me as she pulled her wet hair behind an ear... Again, I could see the puncture scars¡ªdid she know I could see those black splotches? She stretched a little, showing more of her neck as she did. We locked eyes for a moment; she chuckled and then looked at her knees. A moment later, she rubbed her shoulder. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Her eyebrows arced for a split second. ¡°Yeah. Pretty cold here...¡± I shook my head wildly¡ªI was reaching my limits. ¡°Elma!¡± ¡°Y-Yes?!¡± ¡°Ask me what I think about you.¡± Elma blinked many times, but then she wore a goofy smile as she twiddled her thumbs. ¡°What do... What do you think of me?¡± I got up and kneeled before her so that she would be looking down at me. ¡°I think you¡¯re beautiful, and I am in awe of you¡ªwithout a doubt. I am so taken away with how proudly ¡®you¡¯ you are. Seeing you do your best¡ªit makes me proud and¡­ it makes me think that everything we¡¯re doing is worth it¡­ I don¡¯t think I actually care all that much about Heroes saving the worlds. I think what I care more about is someone like you. I love seeing someone that deserves the chance, getting that chance. I want to keep seeing you, Elma.¡± Elma¡¯s cheeks went redder as her smile got goofier. ¡°What do you want, Elma?¡± ¡°I... I want to stake my claim and claim some part of you. ¡° Her voice grew more frantic. ¡°And I want you to claim me too?¡± ¡°Claim?¡± ¡°I mean...¡± She pulled back. ¡°I want your heart. And...¡± Her hands started shaking. ¡°I would like for you to want me too... You and Madam Goddess gave me a life. I want to reclaim the things that were taken from me... And I want you to be part of the things I take.¡± She smiled pitifully as if she thought she would be rebuked. ¡°I want to claim my place near the god who watches over me.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± I stood up, and her gaze followed my rise. ¡°I know it may be impertinent of me to demand this of a god. A woman like me who already died once¡ª¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± I put my hands on her shoulders, surprising her, and gently nudged her to lie down. She went down and reoriented herself on her bed. She made an audible gulp sound and tried to look away as I got over top of her. Our eyes were locked in a comfortable stare as the sound of her heartbeat reached me.
¡°One thing, though.¡± Elma¡¯s eyes met mine. ¡°I¡¯m not a god; I¡¯m just a guy.¡± I fell onto my side and lay next to her. I was all smiles as I stared at the ceiling. ¡°Is that it?¡± she dryly asked. I looked at her. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°After all that? Why? You were on top of me. I thought you were going to¡ªyou were on top of me, Fainn. Why?¡± I stuck my tongue out. ¡°Because I like teasing you.¡± She went red enough that I could see it in spite of the shadows she was hiding beneath. She started stammering, and at that moment, I got on top of her again and kissed her. ¡°Mmm!¡± I pulled apart, but she followed and kept her lips locked with mine until she could no longer keep her head up. Finally, she fell, and we locked eyes. ¡°Was that enough?¡± I asked. She showed me the most endearing smile thus far. ¡°That was nice.¡± She squeezed her eyes closed, and tears slipped out. ¡°That was the nicest feeling I¡¯ve ever had on my lips.¡± Episode 011: The Feast And Elma’s Claimed Fainn
I lowered my head again, and she stretched to meet me upon noticing. We met again as I stroked her wet cheek. She mirrored my move and cupped my cheek with a trembling hand. My hand slipped down, crossing her neck and brushing along her side until I found her hip and held it. Elma broke away from me. "I''m prepared to accept all of you, sir." "Nah, not tonight. This isn''t about me." I kissed her neck as sweetly as I could. "Tonight''s about you." "Then..." She abruptly jerked me upward, separating me from her neck. "Huh? Did I do something wrong?" She grabbed my right hand and--aggressively--placed it on her left tit... I just kind of stared at her as her gray skin became redder--if someone had seen her, they might not believe she was gray-skinned. "E-Elma?" She let out a sigh of relief. "I knew I wouldn''t feel as repulsed." I lifted my hand from her chest, but when I did, she lowered her towel with a nervous smile. "W-What do you think?" "Wow," I whispered. *** We were lying in her bed. I had recovered from some light but frisky activities and was still clothed, but she had slipped under a blanket and snuggled up next to me. "Hmm," she said, her lips pursed. "What''s up?" "Hold me more, sir." Her hand flew out from beneath the cover and yanked my left hand until I was on my side with my arm wrapped around her. "There," Elma said as she snuggled up against me and hid her head beneath my chin. My heart was so full of warm fuzzy feelings that I felt like I could pass away on the spot. I had to pinch myself. Was I dreaming? Nope, definitely wasn''t. "Sorry for my behavior, Fainn." "Huh? Why are you bringing that up?" "Because I''m sobering up, and I can see how silly and awkward I''m being. I just didn''t know how to go about doing this..." "I admire your courage... Don''t worry about it." I started stirring her hair, and she came closer in response. "So warm... I promise I don''t seek to have you all to myself. I wouldn''t dare do that to Madam Goddess." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Svilran? She doesn''t have anything to do with what you and I do." "You may say that, but I do not think the two of you are in a relationship so simple. Nevertheless, I don''t require all of you. I''m happy with just some of the god who watches over me." "If you say so..." "Stroke my back a little, please." "Like this?" "Ahh..." I heard her voice break. "This touch... only one thing in my life could be so comparable..." Elma''s pressed her cheeks against me more and her voice dropped. "Fainn, undead¡ªthey have a chilly touch to them. Ice cold, really." I shut up fast. Elma was about to talk about some heavy stuff. I was ready to soothe her heart whenever needed. "It was like ice cubes on my skin. They would grab me like I was a loaf of bread they could sink their nails into. It was like they were chasing my warmth. I hated being touched by them so much." "I''m sorry. I hate to know that happened to you." "Well, hate it some more because it happens to many more than me." She timidly kissed my neck and held my hand with her detached one. "This warmth, though¡ªI love it. The last time I felt a warmth like this was right before I was ripped from my mother''s teat." "That... makes it sound like you remember when you were a baby¡ª" "I do. It''s my first memory. My mother¡ªshe was in the dark confines of a breeding farm. I remember her screaming and reaching for me as the masters took me away... I remember her screams more than my own... That memory saved me. Whenever I was too cold, I would invoke that memory..." I held her tighter. She giggled as she pulled her head out of her hiding spot. With a smile, she caressed my chin. "May I?" "Of course." She came closer and kissed me again. "Okay, I don''t mean to keep you sequestered here," she said. "Please. Feel free to leave whenever you wish to." "No, don''t worry. I''m not leaving you tonight." "You don''t want to go home?" "Nah. Besides, beautiful women are good for me. Nice ladies like you help me sleep better when they''re around." "Oh? Then I would be happy to ease your sleep." "Please do...be my goddess of sweet dreams for the night..." "I could never be something so pleasant..." she whispered. *** "And so that was that. The girls were way stronger than I gave them credit for." I chuckled as I shook my head. "Honestly, I thought things would go down the way they did in my nightmare. I''m so stupid!" "Now, now. Don''t castigate yourself too hard. That gift of yours¡ªthat power. It blurs the line between the reality you perceive and dreams, does it not? In a sense, are you not more prone to believing the reality you imagine is real due to the nature of the power?" "Hmm... I guess so." "I would wager that it would not be so easy to shake your fears when you can so easily make them manifest. On the other hand, you now know you must be more vigilant and readily able to distinguish between the two realities you inhabit." "Yeah... I do need to be more careful... I don''t want to look like such a fool again. Getting worked up doesn''t help anyone." "Rest easy; those women do not hold anything against you, though I would recommend you not forget to give the other two tender attention. Both Dorthaunzee and Svilran are deserving of it... Though, as much as I adore Dorthaunzee, I would recommend ensuring that Svilran''s needs are being met." "Svilran? She''s probably fine..." "Very well... Might I ask a question, Mister Fainn?" "Sure, I don''t see why not." "That door over there..." I looked over my shoulder. "Who is behind that door?" That door¡ªa black and ornate metal door¡ªwas at the end of the verdant field. I gulped. "I... I''ve never seen that door before in my life." "Yes, but you know what it is, do you not?" I narrowed my eyes at the door. Against the blue sky and the picturesque plains¡ªit was as foreboding as it was out of place. Wait. Blue sky? Hold on. "The last time I saw blue sky..." I looked at the person I was speaking with¡ªreally looked. Even though I did, I couldn''t process what exactly I was seeing. Even so... "Who are you?" The other person chuckled. "Oh my... I suppose you don''t want to indulge me any further." "Nope. I don''t." Episode 011 Bonus: A Nun’s Night of Longing… ?? There could be no sweeter paradise. I was so close to him as he consumed¡­ Oh what I would do to be the meat between his teeth. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to walk Dorthaunzee to her room.¡± The woman speaks, but my mind is too disarrayed to hear. ¡°Aww, she¡¯s so latched onto you, Fainn.¡± What is this? I feel as if some force is trying to remove me from my Savior. Have at thee! Foul monster, I shall not leave! But ahh¡ªmy arm¡ªwhy does it betray me? No! No! A thousand times no! I belong next to my Fainn! ¡°Ahh! I got her! Okay, I¡¯ll walk her back now!¡± The flesh is weak. I knew it to be true, but I have been brutally reminded. Curse you, arms that could not hold fast. My stomach churns¡ªa testament to my dissatisfaction. ¡­ .. . The Goddess of Blinding Light, Svilran ferried me back to my dwelling. I now knew the truth. Like a cruel god, she ripped me away from my savior when my body was weak and my mind was failing. She ripped me away when I was basking in his almighty presence and breaking bread with him. And I cried out for him, but my mind could not form the thoughts, nor could he hear my pathetic embers. She took me away from him and cast me into the darkness. There was no light here. For I did cry out to her, but she did not hear me¡ª ¡°Okay, Dorthaunzee, have a good night, okay? I¡¯ll be back in the morning to check on you¡ªoh no! Please be careful, you almost tripped. Here¡­ There we go, nice and tucked in. Okay, sweet dreams, Sweet Dorthaunzee.¡± She swaddled me in heavenly bindings this weak and warmth craving body refused to leave. I cried and cried. She was greater than I¡ªI could do nothing but submit to her will. ¡­ .. . Savior, oh my sweet Savior. My body is burning for a profane fire has been lit. I cannot put it out. I can only pray and plead that in not reduce me to ash. It cries out for your cooling presence. It searches for the cooling chill your presence provokes. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Come, my Savior¡­ You need not touch me and be repulsed. Even watching would be more than I deserve. To feel your gaze piercing my self¡­ To have you so near, with your fanged tentacles spreading over me. Ahh! My body quivers, My Savior. Open your maw and watch me squirm. Your lesser tongue, with teeth growing out of every bud, could ensnare me. You wrap your fangs around me, and I feel them pierce my flesh, and I am filled with what could only be described as ¡®divinely right.¡¯ Ravish me, my savior, for my foolish fingers wish to take your place. They are a false idol, insulting your divine form. Would you bite them off¡ªmmm¡ªif I could only be so deserving of such punishment. Why did you lead me here, hateful goddess, to this place of darkness, where I am lost, and where I will never be saved? You left me to the mercy of my wretched fingers and lamp. You abandoned me to be mocked by the sounds of my renegade womanhood. My body cries from every pore. I can only close my eyes and create an image of my savior, an eighth as great as the man. Forgive me, Lord, for the shameful sin my disgraceful flesh commits. It seeks relief and I will not stop its pursuit. My womanhood is burning with desire. It is a furnace of passion, a cauldron of lust, a pot bubbling over with desire. Nothing but disappointing filth will flow out. The shadow of the savior I conjured up approaches. My breasts ache and he would grab. My womanhood would cry and he would lap it up. Mmm¡ªthe warmth of my lantern¡ªit is what connects us and now it is thrust between my thighs¡­ Ahh! It brushed against something¡ªwas that My Savior¡¯s will sending a jolt? My garments are torn open. Can you see them? Bring your teeth down and bite on my teat until you are satisfied. My undergarments¡ªthey can not be in your way. I would not hide myself so. Ahh¡ªI¡¯m sorry for they are so dirty. I am sorry! Can you feel that, My Savior? How slippery my crevice has become. It calls out for you¡­ Can you hear my thoughts? Please, discipline my profane self. Bring down your fanged hand and drive your sword into me without mercy. My body quivers¡ªI have invoked an image too powerful. My hands will not stop. My fingers have plunged deep into my depths¡ª Ahh, no, no! Don¡¯t spread this one open. That is too many fingers¡ªI will tear in half without My Savior here to bear witness. I do not want. My Lord, My Lord! Pay heed to my cries for I have stepped too far! Please don¡¯t leave me to this! I¡¯m sorry! I was foolish to think I could play¡ª AHHNGH! How furious¡ªcould my fingers ever move so quickly? They thrust without stop, slathering themselves in heinous proof of desire. Please, I beg you, My Shepard. Come! Burst through my chamber¡¯s doors and watch me. Guide me. Correct me. Do not leave me to burn in the flames by my lonesome. I long for you. Why can you not see me¡ª All that was built hit its peak. The force was such that my mouth did tear open and a sound my ears had never heard came from the deepest part of my being. The wondrous room was stained¡ªforgive me, My Savior, for tainting that which you so generously offered¡­ In that moment¡ªthat brief moment¡ªmy heart was a bird flying over the mountains and valleys of my soul, soaring through the sky and above the clouds to heights of ecstasy¡­ My Savior, surely, I could reach the same heights in your presence. Episode 012: A Brand New Day
¡°Ahh, I had a nice sleep.¡± I glanced at the woman sleeping next to me, her arm hooked around mine. This wonderful Elma hadn¡¯t left my side the entire night. Seeing her now, I was reminded of how vulnerable she was. I knew I couldn¡¯t always protect her because of the nature of her job, but I vowed to always have a warm place for her to return to. I stroked her face gently. ¡°Thank you so much... Women like you always manage to keep the bad dreams at bay.¡± She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± she whispered drowsily. ¡°Sorry. Did I wake you?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± She got up a little and hugged me. ¡°Good morning, Fainn.¡± ¡°Morning,¡± I replied, reciprocating the hug. Then I sniffed. ¡°Hmm. Morning breath.¡± She pulled away from me, her brow raised. ¡°Morning breath?¡± She quickly breathed into her hand and took a whiff. She almost gagged and started laughing. ¡°Oh my, that is unpleasant.¡± She came closer and sniffed my breath. ¡°Why do you smell as pleasant as a sweets room?¡± I winked. ¡°Godhood has its perks.¡± ¡°Oh. Now you claim your godhood.¡± ¡°Yup.¡± I reached for her, sliding my hands along her chin, and ended the move with a kiss. ¡°Thank you, Elma.¡± She rested her forehead against mine. ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡± I jumped out of her bed and helped her out. She did so, getting up with the blankets covering her. I had forgotten she came to bed naked. ¡°So, want me to run you through proper teeth brushing protocol? I noticed you have toiletries in there.¡± ¡°Please," she replied. "I was mimicking what I saw the people who kept me do. I would love to learn from someone living.¡± We walked into her bathroom together, and we got started on brushing our teeth. It was a nice, innocent start to the morning, and many laughs were shared as Elma, and I awkwardly fumbled around. ¡°Don¡¯t put so much toothpaste on the brush, Elma!¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°But you said this would eliminate the smell? Is more not good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s wasteful! Gah! You squeezed it into my eyes!¡± ¡°Oh my gosh! I¡¯m so sorry, Fainn! I didn¡¯t mean to squeeze--hey why are you laughing?¡± ¡°I was just joking. You missed.¡± ¡°You! I was worried!¡± ¡°Haha! And hey, what did you use on your first night to brush your teeth?¡± ¡°The soap.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°It cleans the body, so why would it not do so for the mouth?¡± ¡°Well... You¡¯re not wrong.¡± ¡°Hey! Why¡¯d you put it on my nose?!¡± ¡°Because you almost blinded me.¡± ¡°Why you!¡± She came closer and I did too. We shared a kiss once more, and spread the toothpaste we had on our faces around even more. ¡°Gah! It got in my eye! This time for real!¡± ¡°Serves you right, Fainn!¡± I washed my face out and splashed some water onto Elma. ¡°Hey!¡± she yelped back, laughing. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get serious--¡° ¡°Says the guy playing with water,¡± she said, putting on a playful pout. ¡°I swear, I am so close to ripping those bed sheets off you.¡± s he "Fainn~" It wasn''t meant to go long--it was just a nice little moment. I smiled at her, and she smiled at me. "Anyway, here¡¯s the proper brushing technique.¡± "Oh my, please do demonstrate, sir." ... .. . I won¡¯t say how many times we behaved like love-struck teens. *** ¡°Well, I should probably get going,¡± I said as I checked myself to make sure my clothes were in order. ¡°Svilran and I are probably going to be busy scouring the worlds for stuff to do.¡± I placed my hand on the doorknob and cocked my head. ¡°Huh. The door¡¯s open. Elma, did you open this door?¡± She looked at me as she rubbed her neck. ¡°No. Perhaps we didn¡¯t close it the night before?¡± ¡°Yeah... Can¡¯t really remember the lead-up to our moment there... You okay? You¡¯ve been rubbing your neck.¡± ¡°I think so,¡± she replied. ¡°I think I might have slept on it funny.¡± ¡°Fair... You probably weren¡¯t used to sleeping with someone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She wore a devious smile. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll afford more opportunities to grow accustomed to it.¡± ¡°You can count on me, babe.¡± Elma went red, wearing a goofy smile and started shaking her head. She couldn¡¯t shake that smile off though. ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll see you later, Elma,¡± I said. She called out to me. ¡°Oh! If you summon a new Hero--well, I want to be there!¡± ¡°Totally.¡± Episode 012: A Brand New Day Part 02 Man, life was good. And you know what? I think I was starting to distinguish the minor differences in the sky as the day went by. Like right now, the sky was a little bluer than it was at night. Of course, the ambient light level was more consistent with a cloudless morning. Super trippy. Anyway, I bring this up because the atmosphere really changed when I entered the house. ¡°Faaiinnn...¡± came the intimidating voice. Yeah... Svilran was sitting at the table with a lamp on and over her like it was a spotlight. The house had windows but... it kind of felt like it was late in the night, and there was a storm outside. Really eerie. ¡°Uhh...¡± I waved at her. ¡°Hey... Svilran.¡± I went over to the kitchen sink and started washing my hands. ¡°You sleep well?¡± ¡°I should be asking you that,¡± she replied, her voice deep and sinister sounding. ¡°Oh, uhh, yeah, I slept well.¡± I kept washing my hands... I was being thorough. That was why I was washing them for so long. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice you weren¡¯t in your room when I woke up.¡± ¡°Yup... I wasn¡¯t there.¡± Yeah... I was still washing my hands... This was... I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what I was feeling right now. This wasn¡¯t just fear. ¡°Were you ever in your bed last night?¡± ... Truth was probably the best answer here. ¡°I wasn¡¯t.¡± I heard a grunt from her. Maybe she wasn¡¯t expecting it. I heard the chair move. Then I heard heavy steps behind me. I was starting to understand this feeling. ¡°Faaiiinnnn,¡± she said, dragging out my name like she was a zombie. Dread. It was dread. I was dreading what she would say. I turned on my heels, a smile on my face, praying I would disarm her. ¡°Is something the matter, Svilraaaa¡ªoh my god.¡± She was looking at me with sunken, wide eyes and an expression that indicated she wanted to rip my head off. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Fainn, what did you do to that girl?!¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, I did nothing bad!¡± I said, putting up my hands. ¡°I just slept over!¡± ¡°Really?! It didn¡¯t look like a sleepover! Sleepovers are fun, and all your friends are invited, and there¡¯s alcohol--¡° ¡°It ¡®didn¡¯t look?¡¯ Wait, how do you know¡ª¡° ¡°Fainn, that¡¯s inappropriate! You¡¯re her superior! You took advantage of her weakness!¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa, I did not. I assure you everything was consensual, and it was what we both wanted.¡± Svilran wore a pronounced pout and started beating on my chest. ¡°Fainn, they¡¯re our kids! We¡¯re supposed to be raising them to save the worlds--¡° I grabbed her wrists, perplexed. ¡°Our ¡®kids?¡¯ No, they¡¯re not. They¡¯re... they¡¯re--¡° ¡°What are they, Fainn?¡± I thought of what Elma and Dorthaunzee meant to me. ¡°They¡¯re my heroes.¡± Svilran stepped back. ¡°They¡¯re people that completely and utterly inspire me. They¡¯re the people I wish were there when things went bad for me.¡± Svilran stepped back. ¡°Erm...¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to level with you, Svilran. I don¡¯t see them the way you might. I¡¯m sure that you, as storied as you are, probably look on a lot of mortals as kids, but not me. I¡¯m not like you. I¡¯m more like them.¡± ¡°B-But I picked you...¡± she whimpered. I narrowed my eyes at her for a second, and for some reason, a thought occurred to me¡ªI had the strangest feeling I might have misunderstood something about Svilran. ¡°Hmm...¡± I took a breath and resolved to be upfront about something. ¡°Listen, Svilran. Look at me.¡± She did. ¡°I...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I really like women.¡± Her mouth dropped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Like, I mean, I super really like women. There are no words to describe how much I need women in my life. I cannot understate the massive improvement in my quality of life that women bring about.¡± From my perspective, good women were the only thing that could guarantee me a peaceful night¡¯s sleep. There¡¯s a good chance I had become overly dependent on them, but whatever. There are worst things to be dependent on. ¡°I could die without women,¡± I said, straight and unflinching. Svilran, of course, was stunned. Who wouldn¡¯t be after that declaration? I took that chance to lightly move an errant strand of hair from her face. ¡°I do see them as women. Sometimes, I see them as that first and have to tell myself to chill out.¡± I looked her in the eyes. Might as well go all out. The confidence boost Elma had given me was going to see me through. ¡°I see you as a woman and not a goddess too. Or a facilitator or whatever you want to call it.¡± Svilran went red. As she did, the atmosphere in the house started becoming less oppressive. She was still stunned, so I just smiled at her. ¡°Alright, Svilran.¡± I walked past her and toward the door to leave the house. ¡°I had just come to get you.¡± That was sort of a lie. I came home to relax with her for a bit, but right now, I was riding an adrenaline-high from having to make things clear with her... I could only hope she didn¡¯t realize how flustered I was. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the and get to work.¡± I looked over my shoulder after reaching the door. ¡°Svilran? Are you coming?¡± She snapped out of her daze and traced my steps. Before we stepped out of the house, she delivered one more whisper. ¡°Still inappropriate, though...¡± Oh, Svilran. You perfect and idealistic former goddess¡ªyou would always bring me so much joy... I couldn¡¯t get enough of you. Ahh, I was definitely going to develop some bad dependencies. Episode 012: A Brand New Day Part 03 Four hours later, in the ¡°Boo. Fainn, it looks like we¡¯re in for another long haul,¡± Svilran said as she adjusted the telescope and peered through the eyepiece. I was sitting next to her, looking at the monitor next to the machine. ¡°Should we go make a wish?¡± I suggested. ¡°I¡¯d rather not... We¡¯re two for two so far... Something terrible might happen next time.¡± ¡°... That would be the gambler¡¯s fallacy¡ªthinking that past events influence current possibilities. The wishes are independent of each other, right?¡± Svilran winced. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m not sure. Karma is a thing that would have governed humans like you. That gambler¡¯s fallacy falls apart when the cosmic cause and effect are considered. What a human might see as a game of chance could be a constant exchange between karmic forces.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± I bobbed my head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that answer.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s more beneath the surface that needs to be considered,¡± Svilran said, her tone very pointed. ¡°So, would these karmic forces be at play with the fountain?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. But one of the Imaginal Will could very well get annoyed that we¡¯re sending out so many watermelons. It¡¯s hard to tell since the fountain is the most mysterious fixture we have. I can¡¯t fathom how the fixture works.¡± Svilran sighed and dropped her shoulders before returning to searching for a world. ¡°Oh, I found a lava world,¡± she said. ¡°Could you record the coordinates?¡± ¡°And another world with nothing we can do for it...¡± I sighed. ¡°Coordinates recorded.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay, Fainn. You may go spend time with Elma. Or perhaps you want to spend time with sweet and innocent Dorthaunzee.¡± I whipped my head toward her and stared at her for a few seconds. ¡°Svilran.¡± She kept looking into the eyepiece. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you to do this by yourself.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she said, her tone chilly again. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful when you¡¯re angry, too,¡± I said, sending a metaphorical missile her way. I hoped it would break her defenses. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you like that, Fainn,¡± she snapped back. ¡°Just a casual observation.¡± ¡°No one asked.¡± ¡°Fair enough...¡± I scratched my cheek. ¡°Maybe we should upgrade the facility? We might get a new function.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know... I¡¯m a little scared of investing it now, only to find out we need it for something more pressing later.¡± ¡°I... can understand that fear.¡± I opened up the Building Menu and looked around the entries¡ªjust as a little break, you know? ¡°We haven¡¯t unlocked any new Buildings,¡± Svilran said, noticing what I was doing. ¡°Hmm. And we used up Resource Points on the Feast... Though we could probably get a cheap Resource Square... Hmm?¡± I noticed something for the first time. In the corner of my eye was an icon--it looked like an envelope with a red exclamation mark on it. I put my focus on it, and it expanded. My eyes went wide as I read the contents. Had Svilran really not seen this? I re-read the fine print at the top of the screen. ¡°Individualized Correspondence.¡± Holy shit. What was going on here? ¡®Individualized?¡¯ Svilran didn¡¯t see this? Rather, she didn¡¯t have this? I was getting it? ¡°Fainn, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Uhh. Sorry. I just realized how expensive the Feast was.¡± ¡°Oh... It was worth it, though... Don¡¯t feel bad.¡± Oh, Svilran--even when you¡¯re mad at me, you don¡¯t stop being kind. I turned my attention to the new menu, turning my back a little so that it looked like I was focusing on the telescope¡¯s screen. Now, what do we have here... Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. *** Individualized Correspondence System Alerts ?New Ultra Rare Structure Unlocked... ?New Mythic Rare Structure Unlocked... ??Welcome Package *** Obviously, the information about the structures was important, but the welcome package was probably the thing I had to read first. I opened up that option and was shocked by the first line. ¡°Welcome, Fainn Svik--¡° Just seeing my full name bothered me immensely. I shook myself out of my irritation and kept reading. *** Welcome, Fainn Sviklinder, to your new life as Hero Hub Attendant. A sincere welcome to the , also. This is a messaging platform where you can be notified of any changes. In exchange for access to this platform, you must keep its existence--and the content of its private messages--secret from ALL Hero Hub residents and visitors. The only secrets that may be spoken of are those that have been ¡°Published¡± through the system interface first. Violation of this core tenet will lead to a deletion of the from the Hero Hub. The types of messages and notices you will receive will depend on what conditions have been cleared. Always be vigilant, as some notices may present time-sensitive opportunities. Should you need more information, please ¡®Read More.¡¯ *** What the actual heck? The powers that be want me to keep secrets from Svilran? But she¡¯s Svilran--she¡¯s my partner. What would we accomplish by keeping secrets from each other? Did she also have access to this system? As I was making sense of the ramifications, I heard a ding and noticed the envelope representing the system was shaking up in the corner. Looking at the interface, I realized there was a new message at the top: ??The Way To The Inverse Has Opened What. The. Heck. What was going on here? I looked over my shoulder. Svilran was still working on finding more worlds. I turned my attention to the interface and checked out what had been unlocked before reading the new message. ... The new buildings were crazy. Both were eye-raising and curiosity-rousing for different reasons. ***
Name: Shrine of Forbidden Romance
Rarity Ultra Rare
Unlock Engage in (questionable) romantic activity with a Hero.
Passive Function Improves Growth of Heroes involved in the romantic affair.
Active Function
Description A shrine housing iconagraphy of a woman cradling a heart. It was born from a certain Attendant''s indescretion.
Name: Statue to ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö
Rarity Mythic Rare
Unlock Gain the Attention of ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö AND house one of its Heroes
Passive Function Improves Growth rate of Heroes of the Deep Trenches
Active Function Praying at the statue has a chance of granting a Hero a boon for a period of time
Description You''re not really sure where this strange statue came from, nor who it is trying to depict.
*** I looked at Svilran again. These ¡®descriptions¡¯ were a little too casual and pointed. It made it look like she was the one writing them... She still didn¡¯t indicate that she knew what I was doing, though. ... So, with the shrine, I was surprised that I had actually been rewarded with something that could help Elma, despite how thorny the description was. With regard to the statue... It was interesting how the description told me what I was thinking... I mean, it wasn¡¯t wrong, but it was kind of creepy. This kind of stuff would work in a video game, but when you¡¯re actually a real person... It makes one wonder... Also, regarding that statue--I was sure it had to do with Dorthaunzee. It had to be her that led to this thing being unlocked. I¡¯d be able to prove it if I could see Dorthaunzee¡¯s status later on... Anyway, here was where things got tricky. Beneath each notice, there were buttons I could press, each revolving around ¡®Publishing¡¯ the information. The degree to which I made everything public was what varied across the buttons. Essentially, I could publish all the information or withhold certain parts. For instance, I could take away the ¡®Unlock¡¯ information. Another thing I could do was ¡®dumb-down¡¯ the information. The amount of control I was being given was unnerving. So, the benefit of releasing the information on the structures was that I would then get to Build the structures because they would be properly added to our actual Build Menu. The benefit to keeping it private... Well, I couldn¡¯t figure it out. I was going to need to think about it more. Looking at the shrine, though... I wasn¡¯t sure how Svilran was going to react to that information. Would she be okay knowing my ¡®indiscretion¡¯ was rewarded? I put the Builds aside and instead looked at the new message. Inverse... What¡¯s the Inverse? *** The Way To The Inverse Has Opened. From now on, you, Fainn Sviklinder, may go to the Inverse at any time by interacting with the newly formed option. Upon first arriving, the Inverse¡¯s facilitator will greet you and welcome you to the space. Please do not be alarmed upon meeting the facilitator. Good luck, and work hard. And, of course, do not reveal the existence of the Inverse to any Hero Hub resident or visitor. *** What. The. Heck... Again. And not to be proven incorrect, there was a new option available to me in the corner of my vision. It was an icon that looked like a swirling vortex. Obviously, I was curious, but now I wasn¡¯t sure what would happen if I accessed the so-called Inverse here. I looked over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m... feeling ill,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just going to go take a walk outside.¡± Svilran sighed and looked at me. ¡°It might be because you ate so much food last night that your body doesn¡¯t know how to process it. Please take care of yourself and have some water.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Goddess.¡± She smiled a little. ¡°Okay. Go then. I¡¯ll be here.¡± So I went to the house and locked myself in my room. As soon as I did, I interacted with the icon, and oh man, things went strange fast. My vision distorted, and colors were flying all over the place. I felt myself fall backward and away from my body. I kept falling and falling until I closed my eyes. Episode 013: Welcome to the Inverse ¡°Holy moly.¡± When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in a very... ominous place. The ground was blacker and deader than the ground in the Hero Hub. The sky here was just as depressing, being black and purple, the purple swirling and slithering through the sky like it was alive. In the distance, I could see shadowy blobs. Looking around, I counted five. They each had slightly different shades, but they were all equally ominous. I got a strange sense of foreboding and turned around to see a shadowy blob behind me as well. ¡°Hold on...¡± I stared at the blob. ¡°This looks like my house.¡± ¡°It is.¡± I was like a swivel chair with how quickly I turned. Behind me was¡ª ¡°S-Svilran?¡± There was a woman that looked very similar to Svilran. The biggest difference, however, was her black hair... Her maid outfit--its colors were inverted too and... maybe more modest? Her chest was more covered, and the outfit¡¯s neck was more like a turtleneck. In exchange, though, her midriff was totally exposed. She wore a much longer white skirt than Svilran¡¯s short skirt too. Actually, on closer inspection, it couldn¡¯t be Svilran. This one¡¯s expression looked serene, as if she had never stressed a day in her life... It was also a bit more disconcerting, as I couldn¡¯t read her well. She looked past me and at the house. That is the Inverse¡¯s double¡ªa shadow of your home. She smoothly gestured to the other blobs in the distance. ¡°What does that suggest about those...¡± Her voice was melodic and measured. It felt like she could drift away to sleep at any moment. ¡°If this is a shadow of my house, then those other shadows are the doubles of the other buildings.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. For the Buildings, what is solid is fleeting in the Inverse.¡± She took my hand with her right and patted it with her left. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, Fainn...¡± I raised a brow at her but didn¡¯t remove my hand. ¡°Who are you, and why do you look like Svilran?¡± She released my hand and bowed before me. ¡°I am the Inverse¡¯s facilitator...¡± She stood up straight and looked at me. ¡°I am also Svilran and not. I am her Inverse self¡ªI am her subconscious ¡­ her internal turned inside out and made external. You may call me Narlivs, for ease, of course.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What.¡± She waved her hand as she gestured toward this space. ¡°This is the underside of the Hero Hub, the part that exists below the surface, its subtle half, its subconscious--the place dubbed The Inverse.¡± I looked around, completely stunned. ¡°All has two sides, depending on how one looks at it,¡± she said, holding out her hand, her palm face-up, and with a projection of the Hero Hub and its underside floating above her hand. ¡°The Hero Hub is no exception. It too has a critical underside hiding below the surface, just as Svilran does.¡± The projection flipped so that the dark underside was on the top and the Hero Hub proper was on the bottom. ¡°There are many ways to perceive these two halves, and this model I show is a gross oversimplification. Conscious and Subconscious... Waking and Dream... Outer and Inner. Many metaphors fit this realm, though the individual labels I mentioned don¡¯t accurately capture the entire nature of the realm.¡± ¡°Okay... And what does that say about me? Is this my Inverted self?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. True Humans are a little different. You¡ªyour subconscious and conscious selves are more tightly interwoven and have the potential of becoming tighter... Have you not noticed, Fainn?¡± ¡°Noticed what?¡± ¡°You stand here before me, but you are simultaneously in your room.¡± Huh. The moment she said that, I did notice something. ¡°I¡¯ve just been in my room listening to this conversation,¡± I said, slack-jawed. I closed my eyes and opened them again to find myself in my room. From here, I heard her reply. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve begun to exist in two planes at once.¡± I blinked and was back in the Inverse with Narlivs standing before me. Meanwhile, in the upside, I was walking to my bed, fully cognizant. ¡°Whoa,¡± I said, looking at my hands here, while in the upside, I was lying down. ¡°So I can do this because I¡¯m human? An Earth human?¡± Narlivs stood beside me and hooked her arm in mind. She calmly nudged me, gesturing for me to walk with her. ¡°That¡¯s right, and also because your mind is sufficiently developed... Do you know when you dream, Fainn?¡± ¡°I do. I can figure it out.¡± ¡°That skill is very valuable and what has allowed you to achieve what is called Continuity of Consciousness and Parallel Consciousness. I should clarify, though, that you still have a subconscious... It is more that the divide between you and it is much more reduced than for other people.¡± ¡°I... can understand that. And what about you? What¡¯s the divide between you and Svilran like?¡± ¡°It is very pronounced. Her existence as an imperfect god also makes it very unlikely she will ever be able to cross the divide and commune with me.¡± Narlivs giggled. ¡°So are the rules of long-gone divinity¡­ Conversely, everything she knows, I will know, as everything she knows must pass by my eyes and every new thought she formulates trickles down to me. I, however, will only be able to nudge her.¡± ¡°Much like how a subconscious works.¡± Narlivs hugged my arm tighter and rested her head against my arm. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the purpose of the Inverse and my purpose here?¡± ¡°Maintenance.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°The underside of the Hero Hub is more prone to attack than the topside is.¡± Narlivs pointed ahead of us to a strange white figure. I narrowed my eyes at it, and it slowly came into focus, sort of like my eyes were becoming adjusted to it. ¡°What... is that?¡± I asked, unsure if I should be shocked. Episode 013: Welcome to the Inverse Part 02
I wasn''t sure what exactly I was seeing, even though they were clear as day now. Narlivs spoke, her words measured. "Unrestrained and malicious chaos--Imaginal Parasites." The thing that was ahead of us, stuck like a leech to the ground, was some phantasmal snake or eel-looking white monster. It had many feelers protruding from it, feelers wavering in imaginary wind. Did I say eel? It started looking like a many-eyed thing with the head of a fish and the lower body of a seahorse. Wait, was it changing form again-- "I recommend not looking at it for too long," Narlivs whispered, holding my arm closer to her bosom. "They are creatures that ignore the laws of reality and dimensions. They can drive one mad." "Seriously?" "Those creatures... To call them a primordial evil would not be so farfetched." "Are they... Were they released when Earth was destroyed?" "No... They''re something else. A plague that has ravaged the Imaginal Realms since their inception. They are creatures that traverse the underside of the Imaginal Realm--the same underside our Inverse exists within--and they feed on the Aether meant for the Topside. They exist to devour from the inside out." Narlivs let out an angry-sounding giggle. "It lives up to its name." "This... sounds extremely scary. So it''s draining the Hero Hub of energy?" "Yes... Thankfully, this one is a small parasite. The rate at which it consumes is dwarfed by the rate at which the Hero Hub sucks in Aether from the surrounding reality. Still, accrue too many Parasites, and the Hero Hub will eventually die. This is why maintenance must occur. The Hero Hub can not afford to fall victim to parasites as all else in reality can." Narlivs pointed at three more spots. "Four are feasting on the Hero Hub at the moment." "So. How do we get rid of them?" "I don''t know." We exchanged stares. "Really?" I asked. "Earth, and the rest of the physical realm didn''t have to deal with Imaginal Parasites, so Svilran never developed knowledge of countering them despite other gods giving lectures on the matter. We simply know of their existence..." Narlivs sighed and chuckled. "Svilran was never keen on learning the art of war. She preferred to avert her eyes from such truths." "Okay, and no Divine Intuition or anything like that?" "It''s harder with the Parasites. They''re an existence... equivalent to the primordial forces of the universe. What is to be known about the Parasites must be learned through observation of them. Let''s see..." Narlivs placed her finger against her lip. "We are equivalent to humans gazing up at a starry sky, trying to derive as many rules of the cosmos as we can." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "If I go over there right now and kick it, will there be repercussions?" "More developed Parasites can attempt to devour a body like mine. These small ones may just ignore you. I do believe there is a way for us to conduct maintenance however. Why else would you and I be allowed to come here otherwise?" "If I were to use +Nightmares ARE Fiction+ I could probably scare it away... Is a parasite like an animal, or does it have a rational mind?" "Unsure. I would want to say they''re animalistic, but I cannot begin to fathom the makeup of a possible mind. They could very well just be a force of nature." "That would put them in the same bracket as the Imaginal Will." "Yes. Again, they are equivalent¡ªthe parasites just being a more malicious analog to those forces." "Hey, the Imaginal Will are described as forces of nature that can destroy stuff while being innocent. What separates them from the parasites?" "The parasites can devour Imaginal Will. Some have gone on to take control of some of those entities and turn an Imaginal Will from an innocent force of nature to a malicious destroyer of reality. This is the account Svilran was told long ago... These entities throw reality out of balance and propagate destruction and evil when they gain power. The Gods of the Imaginal Realm, both Imaginal Will and World Gods--some of them have evolved to be able to see the parasites plaguing the Imaginal Realm and have taken up arms against them." "Heavy... So there''s a bigger conflict..." "If we were to establish sides and describe the forces at the top of this new reality of ours... let''s see... We would have the Imaginal Will on one side. The Hero Hub forces and our superior would be another. Then there would be the malicious force unleashed with Earth''s destruction--let''s call them the Evil Will for symmetry. Finally, the Imaginal Parasites. These four forces are the predominant forces shaping the fate of the Imaginal Realm. We can also describe the forces as thus: Creative Chaos for the Imaginal Will, Creative Order for the Hero Hub''s forces, Destructive Order for the Evil Will, and Destructive Chaos for the Imaginal Parasites. Of course, there is nuance within each force but those would be their alignments in the grand scheme of things." "Hmm, that''s quite a lot." I looked at the parasite again. "Scary." "Yes... as there are only four, we can take our time studying them. I would recommend staying your hand for now. I estimate that they would become a problem in 300 Hub Years. So we have more than enough time to prepare. If they ever become a detriment to the Hub, you will receive an alert through the Individualized Messages as well, so there is no worry of being caught unaware." "Hold on; you know about them? The Message System?" "Yes. I am technically a resident of the Inverse now, and the Individualized Message, along with the rest of our Hero Hub''s systems, are designed to be used in conjunction with this realm as well. As I am the facilitator for this side, I was informed of everything regarding our operations and serve as a guide in many respects." "How do I use the Hero Hub systems in conjunction with the Inverse?" "Sometimes, there may be structures that can only be built here. You may also build certain structures down here should you want to keep them from Svilran or anyone else. To build things, you must accumulate Inverse Points--" "Great. Another currency to track..." "Please don''t be annoyed, Fainn. There''s so much work to be done and much to be managed." I sighed and smiled. "Yeah. How do I get them?" "By defeating the Parasites feasting on the Hub." "... So I''ve got to earn them." "Most things in life must be earned." "By beating the things I still don''t know how to beat." "It is a goal that we can work towards." "Fair enough. I under...stand... What the?" Near what I identified as the Inverse-double of the fountain was Dorthaunzee flickering in and out. I ran toward her, and when I got there, I saw that she was running in place against a colorful backdrop. She kept on running, completely unaware that I was mere feet from her. Episode 013: Welcome to the Inverse Part 03 "Wh-What is this, Narlivs?" "Ahh. Yes. As a subtle subconscious realm," Narlivs began, "the Inverse overlaps with the dream space--what one could call the subconscious''s playground. Sometimes, the people from the topside might... appear here when they dream. Sweet Dorthaunzee is currently napping in front of the fountain, and some of her dream is being reflected here in the form of this fog. Let''s call it dreamer''s fog." I glanced at the parasite nearby. "Is she in danger?" Narlivs looked at the parasite for a few moments. "If Dorthaunzee was dream-walking, then she would be in more danger, but no. As a normal dreamer, even if the parasite tried to devour her vitality, it would only suck out a little. It would be the equivalent of a mosquito bite. As a rule of thumb, you are more at risk the more you enter the Inverse." "Hmm, okay." I touched the fog that was acting as a lens into Dorthaunzee''s dream. My hand kind of slipped, and I touched Dorthaunzee." She looked around all of a sudden, but her eyes and mine never met for any meaningful time. "Be careful, Fainn. You''re a special existence right now," Narlivs warned. "There is no telling what may happen." "The parasites won''t be able to enter this fog the way my hand can?" "No. Look here." Narlivs put her hand against the fog, but it didn''t enter at all. In fact, it bent against the surface as if it was hard. "I assume that your conscious mind and its weight is what lets you skirt the laws of this realm. Though, if you notice, you can''t get much more than your hand into the dream." "That''s true... Trippy. There''s so much to discover." "Yes." "How''d you know Dorthaunzee was napping in front of the fountain? Just because of the proximity to the fountain?" "No. You and Svilran have been made into important cores of the Hero Hub. Therefore, you can be aware of everything about the Hero Hub, including the location of its residents. It''s just that the info is fed to your subconscious." I thought back to a certain moment. That one time Elma''s door just opened for me. Did it open for me because I needed it to? "Given your capabilities so far, should you ever just quiet your mind, you might find that your awareness expands. I recommend practicing. In this arena, Svilran does better than you. While she and I cannot converse, she is good at overhearing information that is being sent to me." "Oh... So if she wanted to know where I was..." "She could just ask the Hero Hub. Though, she can''t get your location exactly, as you are an equivalent existence to her. For her to know your location, you must allow it. She knew about you and Elma, however, because she saw you sleeping with her this morning." "Ahh. So she really was there..." "Don''t judge her harshly. She was curious and concerned. She didn''t expect to be so shaken by what she saw. It roused feelings she wasn''t paying serious attention to." "Oh, no problem. I understand." Narlivs latched onto my arm and smiled. "Good." "Whew, a lot of information..." "Yes. Anyway, should you want to erect any Building down here, just gather the necessary Inverse Points. You can then create it down here without letting the residents of the topside know." "It won''t have a Topside double?" This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "No. Not at all." I looked at the dorms. "Question. Are there any Heroes that can only live on this side?" "I''m not sure that they could only exist here, but they would be Heroes that are capable of traversing the Inverse. There are actually many that can cross into the underside across infinite worlds. I would recommend keeping your eyes open for them. Having Heroes that can combat Parasites might be extremely beneficial." "Understood." "Now that we''ve covered the basics, I recommend that this you return to the Hero Hub." "But why? It''s not like I''m gone. I''m in two places at once, right?" "You are, but you, Fainn, have a special existence here--it is what lets you interact with things down here differently than I do. To put it in other words, your conscious self was close enough to his subconscious self that the subconscious was able to guide the conscious down here. You can know what is going on here because your subconscious is submerging you and holding you down here. The Inverse, however, is a fully subconscious realm. You look at this realm with conscious eyes, but you do not see what your subconscious sees. That small divide between you two makes all the difference, and that difference shields you like a veil. To speak in metaphor, you, the party held down below the surface can only see ahead with blurry eyes. Your subconcious, however, can see all that is around you, and maybe a little of what is deeper." Narlivs walked ahead of me and held out her arms before turning. "This is the Realm of Truth. The secrets of creation can be seen from here. The Abyss--you could see the bottom of it from here if you had the eyes that pierce the depths. However, the conscious mind cannot process this unfiltered reality. If you stayed here for long, the last boundary between conscious and subconscious would be forcefully burned away, and you, the conscious mind, would be horribly damaged and possibly go mad... All that would be left of Fainn would be his subconscious. And then, without a conscious mind to handle the waking world, the subconscious would then die, a prisoner in the shadows of lunacy." "Stare into the Abyss, and it stares into you," I muttered. "This realm is of vital import, but remember Fainn. You and I may be here to maintain it, but we are not expected to inhabit it. No one is expected to inhabit it." "Understood... So you?" "When you are not here, neither will I be. I will return to Svilran when you leave. This realm poses dangers to my existence as well." "Because you are actually a fully subconscious existence." I looked at the parasite. "Those things could target you." "Exactly..." She chuckled. "Actually... A good metaphor: The more conscious you are in the Inverse, the less real you are." "Oh. So I''m part ghost down here... Okay. That''s a funny thought." "You''re so smart, Fainn..." Narlivs said as she rubbed my arm. "Says the girl who explained everything to me." I bobbed my head as I worked up the courage to try. I held out my arms and invited a hug. Narlivs, with her smile undisturbed, walked up to me and rested her head against my chest as she hugged me. "Fainn, I would like it to be clear. Svilran and I adore you--truly. That affection factored into why Svilran ultimately chose you to be the other half of the Hero Hub." Right. This was Svilran''s subconscious. She knew everything going on with Svilran. Heck, she might have motivated some actions too... "Hey, what exactly does Svilran want right now? I feel like she''s bothered about the thing with Elma, but I also got the feeling she wanted me to care about her too. Was I wrong?" Narlivs shook her head. She looked up at me, and in a graceful movement, kissed me on the lips. "!!!" "Svilran wants your affection. She, however, is being overly conscious of her place... This is a secret that you must never speak outside of here, but... Svilran was never very good at being a God. That fact led to many trials and tribulations for her. Right now... she is doing her best to not fall short again." Narlivs caressed my cheek as she looked at me with eyes that indicated no turmoil or anguish. "I, however, do not need to be so reserved. I am her truth--her hidden ones turned inside-out and made external. I have seen much more, and I hold so much for her that I''m just waiting for her to reach for... I just want to be affectionate with you, Fainn. I want you to shower me with affection in turn. You were the person we picked. Would you please pick us? Allow this facilitator one selfish dream." I held her cheeks, stroking them with my thumb as I did. "Not even a question. You saved me. I''ll... I''ll pick you. But you don''t mind that Elma also wants things from me, right?" She shook her head. "No? Everyone knows a god can have many loves. We do not need to enforce monogamy at this moment." Svilran chuckled. "Zeus certainly did not care." I blinked many times. "Okay. Wasn''t expecting such a straight answer. Also, Zeus? Wow." "You''re speaking to the subconscious directly. There is nothing left for me to hide. In my eyes, everything is simple. It is Svilran with her perceptions who muddies the scenery before us." "Understood." "The situation with Elma made her feelings bubble up to the surface faster than she was ready to deal with them... I personally do not care to fight her feelings. So... please tell her you care for her again. She wants to hear that you see her as Svilran, and not just one of many women. She can be quite greedy like that." I flashed a thumbs-up. "Got it... Thanks, Narlivs." She smiled back. "I wish us the very best future, Fainn." Episode 013: Welcome to the Inverse Part 04
I opened my eyes and was fully back on the topside. Before my eyes was the Observatory. I had made my way over here while I was talking with Narlivs. "Man. What a crazy place." The underside of the Hero Hub... The Inverse. The realm that represents the sort-of-subconscious of this world we call the Hero Hub. The place where one could gaze upon the secrets of creation from... Even now, I wasn''t fully sure I could wrap my head around the significance of the Inverse and why I alone was allowed to go there. But whatever, what mattered was that now, there was a place I could go if I wanted to set up structures I didn''t want Svilran knowing about... For whatever reason. I opened up the I.C.S (Individualized Correspondence System) and checked those dang structures. "The real problem is that shrine... How would Svilran react to knowing that I got something that could make Elma stronger in exchange for spending the night with Elma?" Narlivs told me what Svilran wants... and to be honest, I would be happy about that... Letting her know we got something good out of my indiscretion might help her too... Help show it''s not all black and white. The next layer to consider here is how to publish these new structures. They would notify Svilran of their existence when published, just like normal structures would. I had a good sense of when these things were unlocked, so in order to avoid suspicion, I would have to publish them at a moment that looked appropriate. Maybe it would be best to hide the unlocking conditions as well. I scratched my head. "Good god. Why is this layer of deception even needed?" I resolved myself and went back into the . "Oh. Hi, Fainn. Are you feeling better?" asked the adorably troublesome former goddess. "A little." I walked up to her seat. "Found anything?" "No. Unfortunately. Nothing new." I rested my hand on her shoulder, and she jumped at my touch but kept quiet. "Hey, don''t get down. I think you''re doing an amazing job. I appreciate your efforts, Svilran. Truly." And now, I published the shrine with the unlock conditions redacted. I saw Svilran react and look to the side immediately--she must have noticed the the new building-- "Fainn! We got a new building!" She looked at me, beaming, and made the Build Menu appear before her. "It''s called the Shrine..." Her happiness evaporated. "The Shrine of Forbidden Love." She stared at the screen, squinting as she did. Her eyes went wide, and then she looked at me, aghast. "Fainn! What indecent thoughts are you nurturing right now?!?!" "What? Indecent? No. I was just really appreciating you, Svilran." Her lips quivered as she tried to find the words. She then looked at her chest and covered it up. "No! Fainn! It''s forbidden!" Her hand flew into my face with the force of a hammer. "Don''t look at me with the eyes of a lecher!" "I dimfn''t (I didn''t)!" "Nooo! I''m an innocent maiden, Fainn! You adulterous brute! Stop licking my hand, you fetishist!" I grabbed her by the wrist. "Svilran! Quit it--you''re going to knock me over!" I pulled at her in the heat of the moment because I stumbled back, and she came flying out of her chair and into my chest. God--that was a whole lot of mass hitting me at once. I stumbled back further and caught myself with the railing around the telescope''s platform. I heard strange grunts coming from that girl and noticed my other hand had really latched onto her backside. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She looked up at me, red-faced, and gasped. "F-F-Faaiiin! Defiling an innocent goddess and quenching your thirst for a forbidden romance sure to rock the world will CERTAINLY get you a thousand years of bad karma!" "What are you going on about you retiree--" She pushed her hands up and into my chin--was this woman trying to uppercut me? "I''m not an old lady! I''m in the springtime of my youth!" "Svilran! Stop pushing me!" Nope. She, in her hysteria, pushed my head so far up and back that it was either I let my neck break or let gravity take over and make me fall over the railing. Gravity took over, and she pushed me over the railing and off the platform. As I went over, though, I--out of pure reflex and fright--grabbed onto her hair. "Owww! Nooooo!" I pulled her over too. I landed on the floor and Svilran landed right on top of me. When I saw her falling, I stretched my arms out and lifted my body-- I couldn''t let her actually get hurt-- "Grrraah!" "Scaaary!" Svilran had landed on me, pushed all the air out of my body with her knees and now-- "Huh?" Oh dear god. I could feel her body heating up, her heart racing and... something else--it was a familiar sensation. "F-F-F-F--" She was stammering. Yup. Didn''t take a genius to figure out what was coming. "Fainn!" See, I was hoping I would just go on unconscious at this point. Why? Well, because heavenly clouds were in my face. A certain someone had fallen forward and shoved her clouds with the consistency of tingling jello into my face so hard that said face was sandwiched between these gates to heaven. "You perverted degenerate!" she cried. I cut my losses. Enough was enough. My hands came alive, and I wrapped my arms around her body, hugging her and keeping her chest on my face... ... Look. It was very likely my back was broken. If it survived, then a rib was definitely cracked. Point was, if I was going to die here, then it''d be like this. A noble death. The kind of loving embrace I wished I could have had as my final moments. But oh dear god, this woman and her hysterics. "Fainn!" She wiggled within my grip. Strangely enough, it didn''t actually feel like she was trying to get away from me. In fact, my arms felt no strain. No. Her body was not pressing against them. Do you want to know in what direction her body was going? Downward. It was going downward. She was pressing her sternum into my nose. Her chest, meanwhile--I don''t know how it was possible, but they were enveloping me so much there was a vacuum seal between them and my ears. "Fainn! No! Don''t rip my clothes off!" I wasn''t doing that. In fact, I was slapping her back because I couldn''t breathe. I had found the will to live in the last moments when I swear I could hear the strums of heavenly harps coming from her breast. "I''m sorry for tempting you! I didn''t think you were such a starved beast!" God help me--I made a horrible mistake. Why wasn''t she getting off of me? A vision of Narlivs came to me. She was wearing a perverted smile. Oh. Oh no. It''s her... That''s cuter than I thought possible. So conflicted. Well... There were worse ways to die. My arms fell limp-- "EEEEEP!" --and Svilran jerked upward. "Fainn! I''m not some common woman for you to slap around!" "Oh, hallelujah!" I yelled, free from that heavenly demise. The thing that saved me? My limp hand fell on her butt. That was it. Thank god. I looked up at her, a delirious smile on my face. Her mouth dropped as her cheeks reddened, and she clutched imaginary pearls. "Stop undressing me with your probing eyes, Fai--" "Enough." I put my finger on her upper lip and made her jump. "Enough''s enough. You''re going to be quiet now." She clamped her mouth closed and froze up. "Now, you listen here, Svilran. You''re going to get off me." She nodded. "Then you''re going to help me up." She nodded again. "And you''re going to do this without saying a word. Enough of the hysterics." She nervously touched the tips of her index fingers together and twiddled them. "But you were trying to ensnare me in a forbidden romance...It''s not my fault--" "I was not." There were no words to describe how deadpan my voice was. Svilran got off me and helped me up. Once I was on my feet, she averted her gaze and looked at her feet. "Are you mad at me?" I patted her head. "Not mad. Just wounded." I was about to make a comment about how heavy she was, but I wasn''t so stupid. "Oh... okay. Sorry... I was just shocked... I overreacted." I smiled. "Oh, yeah, yeah." Then my voice turned stern. "Listen to me. You will come to my room tonight. Do you understand me?" She stared at me with wide eyes. "Svilran." "Yes... Okay." Satisfied, I made my way back to the telescope''s platform, leaving Svilran looking like a stunned deer. Okay, yes, it was a little mean. But the girl was heavy, and her mounds were weapons. Given that and my aching back, I was very content to let her figure herself out. Goodwill? What was that? Also, it was kind of refreshing taking a demanding role. I made the note that I could try doing that more often. Feels a little uncomfortable though... But I think... Yeah I think that''ll be good for me. Just as I was about to settle, the door flew open, and in ran Dorthaunzee. She, frantic and with tears in her eyes, pointed outside the door. Svilran looked at me and called out-- "It''s Elma! Elma''s fallen in front of the fountain!" "Elma?" Dread consumed my heart. Episode 014: An Ill Hero Part 01 "Elma!" I yelled. She was unconscious in front of the fountain. I sprinted toward her and got on my knees a few feet from her. I slid the rest of the way to her and scooped her head onto my lap as I reached her. "Elma! Hey, Elma!" I lightly slapped her cheek. "Elma! Wake up, Elma!" "Mmm--urgh--mmm." Her lips were quivering, and her face looked pained with how she was scrunching it. I could feel that she was burning up too. "What the?!" I flung my gaze toward Dorthaunzee. "Dorth! What''s going on here? I thought she was feeling ill. She''s fully unconscious!" Dorth reached us and dropped to her knees, where she then started applying healing magic on Elma. From what she was conveying, it seemed that Elma was still on her feet when Dorth ran to get us. "Then... is this problem progressing faster than we could have imagined?" Svilran asked. "How much worse is this going to get?" "Damn," I said, frantic. "I don''t know." I shifted her hair and noticed the scars on her neck. They seemed darker than I remembered. Or were they? Did I even see them in good lighting before? "Dorth--is your healing magic not doing anything?" Dorth, with tears in her eyes, shook her head as she kept the blue glow on Elma. Seeing Dorthaunzee trying and still not causing any significant improvement, I turned to Svilran. "Svilran, please. Do you have any ideas?" Svilran''s brow was furrowed, and her hand was on her chin. "Elma... Might have an illness." "I-Illness?" I asked. "But she died, didn''t she? And we gave her a new body too!" "No... Not exactly. This concerns the fine details of the Hero Hub''s mechanisms... When a Hero comes here through the , they are given an Imaginal body that is mostly identical to the one they left. Any condition that led to or will lead to their immediate death will be removed. But if it''s not fatal... Our ..." My heart raced. I recalled something crucial--Elma couldn''t keep her food down. Even though she came to this world in a new body, she still had a debilitating condition--a shrunken and weak stomach. I stammered as I began speaking. "So you''re saying... Elma would still have diseases or conditions that could impact her health and make her suffer." Svilran nodded, still deep in thought. "I think so... The thing is, the dorms have a slight restorative effect. It''s not strong, but eventually, resting there would heal chronic conditions. The reason they''re not better at it is because--" "It''s not their main purpose," I said. "Whatever she has is hurting her faster than the dorms heal her... Svilran, is there a Building whose main purpose IS to heal a Hero? Like a hospital or something?" Svilran nodded. "There is¡ªthe Rare Building: . But Fainn, we don''t have the points for it right now." Stolen story; please report. I went cold, and my chest tightened. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. "We don''t have enough points," I repeated. Just when I was about to start yelling at myself internally, Dorthaunzee held my hands between her own. "I''ll get the points!" I felt her convey. She whipped out a notepad and frantically scribbled a message. It read: "Elma told me the missions! I''ll help a Hero with magic! I can do it!" As soon as we read the message, Dorth pulled her sleeve back and showed her muscle. "I can do it," she conveyed. My voice broke. "Dorth... Thank you!" Svilran helped Dorthaunzee onto her feet and nodded at me. "Fainn, you take Elma to her room. I''ll take Dorthaunzee to the and get her sent to the mission! It''s still available!" "Got it!" I picked up Elma and ran to her dorms as Dorth and Svilran ran the opposite way. *** Elma''s Room-- I had brought her back here, and then Svilran joined us afterward. "Come on, Elma..." I was kneeling at her bedside, holding her hand. She had gotten worse. Her temperature was unparalleled, and she was sweating buckets. "I don''t understand why she''s getting worse..." "Fainn, whatever she had must be causing her to deteriorate faster than the dorm''s recuperative effect," Svilran said. She came in with a bucket of cool water and placed it on her head. "I don''t understand, Svilran. Why let Heroes deal with these types of things? Illnesses are not heroic." "Plenty of Heroes are made stronger by the challenges they overcome. Illness can be one of those challenges." "Okay, but what happens when illness gets them killed--" "Fainn, it''s not perfect, but adversity is needed. You must be able to understand that. The reality is, yes, Heroes have challenges they need to overcome, and some of those challenges end up defeating them. We can''t just make their lives perfect." Svilran rubbed my back. "Can you imagine sending people who have never struggled and persevered up against some ancient evil? We''re already doing so much by giving them a second chance after death." "... Point taken. This is just a bit more stressful than I thought it could be." "I know. Let''s believe in Dorthaunzee. We''ll care for Elma in the meantime." Svilran brought up the menus and pointed at the . "We just need 100 Build Points to erect it. We are currently sitting at 95. We''ll definitely get it with Dorthaunzee''s help." "Wait, what about upgrading? If we upgrade the dorms, will it increase the recuperation rate?" "It would, but we''re speaking of an increase by a small percentage of an already small number. I also fear that we may need to upgrade the immediately upon building it. If we were to come short of the critical upgrade..." My grip on Elma''s hand tightened. "Right. It''d be just like now... Dammit, this is so frustrating. We can''t help her..." "We can be here for her." Svilran stoked Elma''s cheek. "Well... I hope she''s having nice dreams at least..." "Nice dreams?" I asked, puzzled and mildly annoyed that was how she chose to contribute. I mean, really? Why would she say that... Hold on. That was when I realized that someone else might have been saying that. When I looked at it from that perspective, it occurred to me! "Svilran!" I grabbed her face and kissed her forehead. "You genius!" "F-F-F-FAINN! What are you doing?!" "Oh--uhh, I was just so happy--" "About what?! Elma''s unconscious, and we don''t know what to do!" Oh dammit. Obviously, this would look strange to Svilran. I just went from depressed to ecstatic... I got too carried away. "I can''t believe this. Your lover is unconscious, and you''re kissing another woman at her bedside?!" I got irked. "You''re calling her my lover now?" "Are you suggesting she''s not?" Svilran gasped suddenly. "Fainn! You cad! Don''t you dare abandon this woman after what you''ve done to her!" She slapped my shoulder and arm repeatedly. "I can''t believe you! Did I misjudge you?!" "What I did to her--I didn''t do anything--" "You took advantage of her!" "Oh my god," I said, exasperated. "Take responsibility!" I put my hands down. "This is not the time, Svilran--" "Not the time?! You started this by kissing me in front of her. Do you have no shame?" Okay, I was done. I was only going to make things worse. Goddammit, I had just realized that I hated keeping secrets. I separated myself into two and went to the Inverse. Of course, I had to withstand Svilran''s angry lecture all the while. Episode 014: An Ill Hero Part 02 I was back in the Inverse, standing on a shadowy surface and surrounded by shadowy walls. I looked to my right. "Fainn, it''s good to see you..." said Narlivs, wearing the same thing as last time. "Though, I didn''t expect we would have to see each other so soon and during such dire circumstances." "What? Didn''t you send that message through Svilran? The thing about dreams?" Narlivs giggled, touched her finger to the corner of her lip and winked. "Did I do that? Svilran is capable of her own ideas, you know." I put that thought aside then looked to the bed where I thought something would be. "Is she not dreaming?" I asked. "I wanted to ask her what happened before she went unconscious." Narlivs closed her eyes. "No, she is. We can see her near the fountain." I was on my feet and out of the room with Narlivs close behind. "Doesn''t the dream follow the dreamer''s location?" I asked. "Not necessarily. Spatial relationships are not so stringent between the two realms. The Inverse you currently see is heavily influenced by our perception of it as well... The dreamer''s fog can roam a little too, depending on the dreamer. In Elma''s case, her dream started in front of the fountain. That was where the viewport was created." "Learning something new every episode," I said as I shot out the door. Over by the fountain''s double, I saw the fog and one more thing that made my blood boil. "Seriously?! A Parasite?!" There it was, latched onto the fog and sucking out whatever energy it liked. "Oh my," Narlivs said. "That may cause some trouble if it actually drains the fog. Elma may be fine, but the fog would disperse and leave us without a way of touching her dreams from here." "That''s it." I held out my right hand and touched my middle finger and thumb together. "Fainn, wait--it may be better to just speak to her quickly--" "I''m not chancing it! Don''t follow me any further!" I snapped my fingers. "Don''t get caught in +Nightmares ARE Fiction+ too!" This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. My power''s dome expanded over the dreamer''s fog and the Imaginal Parasite. I turned my sights on that indescribable thing. "All creatures feel terror, so you--what do you feel?!" I put my hand on the impossible-to-describe skin and my power connected quickly. "The form your terror takes"--I stepped back--"here it is!" My torso started ripping, and--immediately--I felt something was wrong. "Raaargh! Damn it! What?!" +Nightmares ARE Fiction+ was a power that attacked the mind. Within its dome, the pain it inflicted all came from the mind. That was for true for the opposing side. On my side, the transformations didn''t actually hurt me. Even so-- "Why does it hurt?!" --I was screaming bloody murder, feeling every tear and snap of my muscle fibers as my body warped. My torso was on fire. My organs--I could feel them being pulled down into the new space as if someone with sharp claws had hooked them. My arms went numb from the shock as my point-of-view rose from my body stretching. I wanted to rip my bowels out everything was wrong. Strange suction made it feel like the rest of my body was constantly being pulled toward the middle now--what was going on?! With one final, blood curdling roar, the pain stopped, and my body settled. I panted as I looked myself once over. My chest had been separated from the rest of my body and sat on top of a swirling white hole. The rest of my body was below that hole... That was the Parasite''s fear--this one-way ticket to oblivion. I shook myself free from that pain-induced daze and glided toward the Parasite. The moment I got closer, I saw its skin warping--the white hole was sucking it in. The moment it felt that tug, it unlatched itself from the dreamer''s fog and ran--or, I guess, floated--the opposite way. "Oh no, you don''t!" I hovered after it at a higher speed--thank god I understood how to move in this form. "I''m not stopping until you''re catatonic with terror!" I came upon the creature, and the moment my swirling vortex grazed one of its stringy feelers, the vortex sucked it in. It fought for a second but then was sucked in, screeching and letting out a ghastly body-reverberating wail simultaneously. Immediately, I noticed something was wrong. It was sucked into the vortex and ripped to shreds, but this time, the damage wasn''t negated. The creature didn''t come back. It wasn''t just a manifestation of its fears--it was-- "I killed it..." My body gurgled, and the pain surged through my senses once more. With the creature gone, the fear that warped me seemed to disappear. My body started warping back into the body of a human on its own. Bones reformed, and tissue was forcefully welded together like someone had lit a forge inside my soul. The process continued until I was panting on my knees and coughing up blood left over from the process. "I... What''s going on? +Nightmares ARE Fiction+ was never this real." Fortunately for me, the pain subsided as soon as the transformation was over. In that sense, it was still like a dream. The moment it was over, all that was left was the memory of it. Freed, I looked toward the dreamer''s fog and lost all sense of relief I previously had. "Elma!" I got up and ran to the fog. It--that small cloud-like thing--was diffusing into the environment. Had the Parasite actually drained it enough? It was only when I reached it that I noticed what had actually happened. "What the--Elma?" "Huh? Fainn?" she replied, looking at me with wide eyes. Episode 014: An Ill Hero Part 03 I had gotten too close to the fog, and it was like I had entered it, but not really. No, I looked around and saw that it was more like the fog had spread out and had its contents meld with the Inverse space. Right now, behind me was the rest of the Inverse, but before me was Elma. She was sitting on some forest floor, looking up at me. I could also see the boundaries of this space. It must only have been 10 feet in radius. The walls looked as if they had picturesque forest wallpaper draped over them, but also had the same fog-like qualities of the dreamer¡¯s fog. Elma reached for my hand, and I immediately backed away. Thank god. ¡°Hold on! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± She immediately pulled her hand back, terrified. I looked behind myself and confirmed it--+Nightmares ARE Fiction+ was still active. If she touched me, her nightmares would come out. And given what happened to the Parasite... I turned to her and reassured her. ¡°Elma, everything¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve just got my power active, okay?¡± ¡°O-okay...¡± After that, I got down to business, actually taking a knee to speak with her. ¡°Elma, listen to me; how are you feeling? Do you remember when you were out in front of the fountain?¡± ¡°The fountain...¡± she repeated. She touched her neck gently as she squinted. ¡°I was--that¡¯s right. I was in front of the fountain...¡± She suddenly started looking around. ¡°I¡¯m in a forest? But I don¡¯t remember it--¡° ¡°Elma, stop!¡± I stopped her from questioning her environment. When one starts questioning a dream, one might wake up. In Elma¡¯s case--she could regain her senses long enough to ruin this dream. ¡°Elma, don¡¯t think about that, please.¡± Her eyes met mine, and she nodded. ¡°I was in front of the fountain. I wasn¡¯t feeling well. Oww.¡± She squeezed her neck. ¡°My neck¡¯s hurting... That¡¯s right. My neck was hurting.¡± ¡°Your neck? Is that all?¡± ¡°No. It was strange.¡± Elma¡¯s eyes darted around like she was looking for items she had dropped. ¡°After you left, my neck was still hurting... A little bit later, I was feeling dizzy.¡± She squeezed her neck. ¡°And my neck. It was so strange. I kept feeling like there were teeth in my neck, but that wasn¡¯t possible. And then I started feeling hotter and hotter. I¡¯m not sure how much time passed, but lying down didn¡¯t help me. So I went outside--oww, why does my neck hurt so much?¡± ¡°Your neck... Does it feel like teeth are getting in there right now?¡± ¡°It does--¡° She scrunched her face as she looked at something over my shoulder. ¡°Fainn, what¡¯s that door?¡± My heart beat louder, and it felt like I hit my funny bone except my funny bone was my whole body. ¡°Door?¡± I asked as I looked over my shoulder. As soon as I saw it, I went cold. Elma detected the shift in my demeanor. ¡°Fainn, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-Nothing. I¡¯m just going to deal with--¡° Elma let out a sharp scream, and I flung my gaze back toward her. She was looking to her right, pale and shaking. My gaze followed hers, and I saw a shadowy man step out from the woods. ¡°H-Him!¡± she screamed. ¡°He¡¯s the one biting me--¡° My head swiveled back to Elma immediately. ¡°Hey, Elma, no! Stop, he¡¯s not real--¡° ¡°My neck! It¡¯s burning! It¡¯s burning!¡± She fell backward and tried to drag herself away from the man. ¡°He¡¯s doing it!¡± ¡°Elma, stop!¡± ¡°Fainn! It¡¯s him!¡± Then, I heard a rattling from behind me. My neck creaked as time seemed to slow and my head turned. The door--the knob on the black door was turning. I looked at the terrified Elma, then at the figure emerging from the forest. The whole dream was turning darker. The forest was turning darker, leaves were dying and the wind was chilling. With the pain as the trigger, Elma¡¯s dream was devolving into a natural nightmare. ¡°Damn it!¡± I yelled. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Fainn!¡± ¡°Hold on, Elma!¡± I had gotten up and ran toward the door, leaving Elma alone with the subject of her fear. ¡°Fainn, please don¡¯t leave me!¡± she cried. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Elma! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± I didn¡¯t have time to apologize. That door-- ¡°You can¡¯t be opened!¡± I invoked a certain nightmare and felt a blade cut through the muscle beneath the skin of my left arm. In my next step, a blade covered in teeth tore out of my left arm as I clenched my jaw and fought the pain of a dozen teeth shredding muscle tissue. Roaring, I slashed at the door with a weapon crafted from Dorthaunzee¡¯s nightmare. This was another aspect of my power--a nightmare¡¯s echo. I could wield any nightmare I had previously parsed once more, though it would be a little weaker. This power was derived from the reality that people¡¯s nightmares would still haunt me long after my power ended. It was the very small upside to the downside. Using the toothy blade, I slashed at the door repeatedly. ¡°This door--NevER aGaIn!¡± I roared¡­ I didn¡¯t notice how distorted my voice was until later¡­ I cut the door over sixteen times until it was rubble and the floor. Behind me, Elma let out the loudest cry-turned-into-a-scream so far. I turned on my heels and sprinted back toward her. ¡°Elma! Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m coming! I¡¯m coming back!¡± I jumped back into her dream and got between her, and the figure I could now see was a shadowy vampire. I had never attacked someone¡¯s nightmare with another person¡¯s nightmare, so there was no telling what would happen¡­ With hope in my heart, I slashed the figure. The sword tore through it and cut it down. It turned into shadows and sank into the floor. ¡°Whew,¡± I said, breathing out. ¡°Fainn!¡± Elma yelled, her voice drenched in relief. ¡°Elma, no!¡± She had reached for me. That girl had found my hand and held on tight. ¡°Elma!¡± Of all the things¡ªshe went and did the one thing she shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°Noooo!¡± I roared. +Nightmares ARE Fiction¡¯s+ effects immediately struck me. My body twisted, and my bones extended against my will. My fingers tore skin as they stretched, and my mouth bled as new sets of teeth tore through my gums, and made my human teeth pop out like rockets. My ribs pierced my skin and my ears extended. Black nails ripped my nails off my fingers from beneath, snapping flesh one thread at a time. A roar escaped me, as did bloody tears. And there before me, watching it all with her hand welded to mine, was a terrified Elma who had lost her voice. She watched in terrified silence as this body horror ravaged me. ¡°Elma,¡± I said, my voice garbled and deep. ¡°Don¡¯t be scar--¡° She whipped her and away from me and used it to push against the ground. She dragged her rump across the ground, pushing herself further and further back. That whole way, with her eyes glued on me, she screamed. ¡°Nooooo!¡± She screamed for me to come help her. ¡°Fainn! F-Fainn! Help! I need help!¡± She screamed for me, thinking I had abandoned her. ¡°Fainn! Plelelease! Please, where are you? I¡¯m scared! Fainn!¡± She screamed for me, begging to not be left alone. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me alone, Fainn! I can¡¯t¡ªI can¡¯t do this! Fainn!¡± She begged for me to come back. ¡°Fainn, please come back!¡± She apologized for not being enough. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please don¡¯t leave me! I¡¯m sorry I got Dorthaunzee in trouble! I didn¡¯t mean it, I swear! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t eat your food! I¡¯ll do better. I promise I won¡¯t vomit it out anymore!" She didn''t even notice she was in a dream. She pulled a watermelon out of the ground and started eating while tears streamed from her eyes. "See? I can do it too, Fainn! I can eat--I won''t get anyone in trouble--BBgmmff--" The watermelon came back out her mouth and she screamed. "No, no, I didn''t mean that! Please don''t look!" She clawed at it, hysterical and shoving it in her mouth. She didn''t even notice it was rotting. "I can do it, I can do it! I¡¯ll be normal I swear! Please, please! I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not good enough! Please don¡¯t give up on me!¡± She hobbled over and her forehead hit the ground slathered in rotten fruit as she hugged herself. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t leave me¡­ Please, Fainn¡­ please¡­ I¡¯ll be better¡­ Please¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back. My heart couldn¡¯t take it. I tore my eyes away, jumped out of the dreamer¡¯s fog, and closed +Nightmares ARE Fiction¡¯s+ dome. The dome shrank, and with it went the expanded dreamer¡¯s fog and my transformation. Now, the dream was just that little cloud that served as a window to Elma¡¯s mind. I ran back to it and stuck my hand in as far as I could, barely touching the wailing and crying Elma¡¯s cheek. ¡°Elma! It¡¯s going to be okay. You¡¯re going to be okay!¡¯ Her eyes widened when she heard me. ¡°Fainn! Help me!¡± she cried as she frantically looked around. ¡°I will! I will! I promise I will! Just hold on!¡± The dream started getting darker--I knew what this was. ¡°Fainn? Where are you?¡± ¡°Just hold on, Elma. I¡¯m always right there!¡± ¡°Fainn? I can¡¯t hear you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll always be near! Elma!¡± I didn¡¯t have this power to not know the rules governing dreams. Elma¡¯s consciousness was fading. Her mind had exhausted itself--it was going into a deeper, usually more dreamless sleep. As the dream became darker, it pushed my hand out until it was pressed against the surface of the fog with Elma right on the other side. I couldn¡¯t hear her anymore as she cried and screamed, but I could see her eyes all the way up to the moment the fog disappeared. I held myself as I rocked back and forth on my knees, my jaw clenched. My head was hurting, the memory of Elma crying haunting me. ¡°I¡¯m Not tHe niGhTmREs. IT¡¯s¡ªit Nat mE, hnest. "Nigtm-re. I¡¯M not the NghtMr. -lease I''m nOT the one . I Wou-d neV-r Hurt a kind lady¡ª¡± I shook my head and tried to reclaim myself from whatever was bubbling up in my mind. ¡°Nightmares ARE Fiction. Nightmare ARE Fiction. Nightmares ARE¡­ FICTION.¡± I panted as I looked at the spot the dreamer¡¯s fog once occupied. ¡°Elma... It was just a dream, Elma... And we¡¯ll save you from what¡¯s really hurting you,¡± I whispered. That message was as much for me as it was for her. ¡°Nightmares are fiction. They can¡¯t hurt you.¡± A familiar and sweet voice¡ªone that soothed the soul came from behind me. ¡°Do you truly believe that is still true? Fainn?¡±