《The Tale Of Five Heroes And A Goddess》 Chapter I: Summoning The Heroes! Chapter I: Summoning The Heroes!
"And last but not least, the Goddess who will be responsible for saving the world, Atlas, the SS-class world is none other than Shiva!" Upon hearing those words, a round of applause erupted from the Gods and Goddesses inside the realm of the Gods, while those around Shiva began to offer their congratulations to her. "Congratulations Shiva, you deserve a world like this!" "With you in charge of saving Atlas, I''m sure you''ll have no problem!" "Good luck Shiva, I''m positive you can do it!" While Shiva received a lot of support from her fellow Gods, and Goddesses, it was difficult for her to show a shred of happiness. "SS-class... This is a joke, right? They''re not actually going to have me be the Goddess of Atlas, right?" Shiva couldn''t believe what was happening. Indeed, she had been able to save many worlds in the past including two S-class worlds by summoning heroes from another world, but that didn''t mean she was ready for an SS-class one. She was still considered green compared to many other Gods and Goddesses. Unfortunately, the Head Goddess didn''t seem to be joking, for she didn''t say she was kidding at all, which meant Shiva was truly the Goddess of Atlas.
After that was all said and done, Shiva quickly returned to her room inside the realm of Gods and began to look through her list of candidates. She wasn''t concerned about their nationality in the slightest, and the reason why was because when they get teleported to the Realm of Gods, they would immediately inherit the common language which was English. Although, if she was being honest with herself, she did secretly preferred people from Japan, for they were the most reasonable and respectable when it came to being teleported to another a world. However, because this was an SS-class world, she couldn''t afford to limit herself to one nationality. No, if she was going to save Atlas, then she was going to need the best of the best. "Let''s see here." She said aloud as she looked at the first file.
Name:Tatsumi Seika
Level:1
Health:355
Mana:210
Attack:33
Magic:30
Endurance:33
Agility:34
Resistance:Charm, Water, Ice.
Special Skills:Shapeshifting (Lv4), Jack Of Trades (Lv7).
The stats were nowhere near bad, but neither were they the greatest she had ever seen. They were just good. "I''ll hold onto his file for now." She told herself before moving onto the next file.
Name:Ashton Fisher
Level:1
Health:118
Mana:400
Attack:15
Magic:135
Endurance:20
Agility:17
Resistance:Fire, Water, Ice, Electricity.
Special Skills:Meteor Shower (Lv3), Experience Gain Increase (Lv1).
Again, the stats weren''t bad, but they were nowhere near the greatest either. Luckily, because this was an SS-class world she was able to summon five heroes, so if it came down to it, she could afford one or two above-average heroes. However, that meant she was going to need to get three extremely great heroes to make up for their shortcomings. Setting the paper down on top of the previous one she read, Shiva looked at the mountainous stacks of paper and sighed. "This is going to be a long day."
Eventually, after several hours of reading, and reading, and even more reading, followed by some more reading, Shiva found her five heroes.
Name:Baun Trevelyan
Level:1
Health:420
Mana:285
Attack:102
Magic:55
Endurance:55
Agility:109
Resistance:Fire, Charm, Ice, Earth.
Special Skills:Phantom Walk (Lv3), Hunter''s Evasion (Lv2), Shadowy Disguise (Lv3), Nightblade (Lv4).
Name:Simon Churchill
Level:1
Health:220
Mana:540
Attack:30
Magic:155
Endurance:37
Agility:18
Resistance:Fire, Water, Ice, Electricity, Earth, Wind.
Special Skills:Fire Shower (Lv2), Tidal Wave (Lv2), Blizzard (Lv2) Lightning Storm (Lv2), Earthquake (Lv2).
Name:Angel McGrath
Level:1
Health:675
Mana:200
Attack:65
Magic:55
Endurance:122
Agility:43
Resistance:Water, Charm, Ice, Earth.
Special Skills:Warrior''s Howl (Lv4), Experience Gain Increase (Lv1) Juggernaut Charge (Lv2) Immovable (Lv2)
Name:Brendan Everson
Level:1
Health:327
Mana:330
Attack:133
Magic:105
Endurance:40
Agility:88
Resistance:Fire, Water, Ice, Electricity.
Special Skills:Flame Bolt(Lv3), Ice Bolt (Lv3), Water Bolt (Lv3)
Name:Evan Russell
Level:1
Health:410
Mana:240
Attack:70
Magic:58
Endurance:69
Agility:50
Resistance:Charm, Electricity, Earth, Wind.
Special Skills:Beserk (Lv3), Lion''s Roar (Lv2), Power Beam (Lv4)
"With these five... With these five I''ll most definitely be able to save Atlas!" She practically shouted as she held up all five sheets of paper with a joyful expression decorating her face. She wasn''t going to say it, but there was a part of her that was afraid she wouldn''t find anyone with extraordinary stats like this, but it seemed the Gods and Goddesses of luck were on her side. Not wanting to waste any more time, and believing that these five were the heroes she needed, Shiva left her room and made her way to summoning room with their documents in hand. After arriving at the summoning room, Shiva spent a good forty-five minutes to an hour and a half drawing five summoning circles. She couldn''t teleport them all at once through one big summoning circle, for they were all in different locations on Earth, so she was going to have to do them one at a time. "Okay, now which one should I summon first?"She asked herself upon finishing the summoning circles and wiping the sweat she had made off of her forehead. "Mmm..." She hummed as she gave it some thought before finally reaching a conclusion. "I think I''ll do Simon first." Out of all of them, it was Simon who had the most mana, so he was probably the most intelligent one out of them all and would have an easier time understanding being teleported than any of them. Of course, this wasn''t a fact of any sort, but this was just what she told herself in order to make a decision. Invoking a chant, Shiva started to summon Simon.
Once finished with the chant, Shiva said Simon''s full name causing a flash of light to happen. It lasted for several seconds, but after a while, it eventually came to an end, and when it did, Shiva was finally able to see her first hero for the world of Atlas. He was slightly pale with short reddish-brown hair,and a reddish-brown beard. He stood at a staggering height of 5''7 and had a build that was more along the lines of skinny than muscular. His eyes were a blueish green, and the clothing he wore was nothing fancy. "Hmm, I wasn''t expecting him to look like this, but he''s not bad."Shiva thought to herself as he looked around the room with a puzzled expression. She had never summoned an Irish person before so she wasn''t sure what they would look like, but she did remember hearing from one of her past heroes talk about how Irish and Scottish people were these massive and intimidating people. Clearly this wasn''t the case, so she began to wonder if her past hero was lying to her, and started to frown. However, she wasn''t able to dwell on these thoughts for long, for Simon soon called out to her. "Hey, do you mind telling me where I am?" He asked her with confusion still written on his face and in the most monotone voice she had ever heard someone speak in before. "This doesn''t look like my kitchen."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Ah, my apologies, hero." She said with the smallest of bows. "I am Shiva, one of the many Goddesses that live in the realm of the Gods, and I have summoned you to defeat the Demon King!" "... Okay then." Was all Simon said with a shrug of his shoulders after a minute of silently staring at her with a blank expression. "Okay then?" Shiva repeated with confusion not only written on her face, but also in her voice. "That''s all you have to say after hearing that?" "Yeah, what do you expect?" He asked her with the same blank expression. He didn''t see the reason why she was confused by his response at all. "I-well," She mumbled with a slightly embarrassed look. She had expected him to say a lot of things and ask a lot of questions, so hearing his simple response was a little off-putting for her. "Ahem, well then, let me summon your other companions-" "Uh, that won''t be necessary." He interrupted in a somewhat neutral tone. "Pardon?" Shiva said in response, confusion once again written on her face. "It won''t be necessary, I''m a hero, right? He told her before asking the last part in a slightly questioning manner. "Yes, you are indeed a hero, but-" "Then I don''t see the need to have companions. I don''t know if you noticed, but I''m pretty strong when it comes to martial arts." He interrupted once again which kind of got under her skin. "... I honestly don''t know if he''s being serious or if he''s messing with me."Is what she thought as she stared at Simon with an emotionless expression."I want to believe that he''s messing with me, but I seriously can''t tell with that tone of his." Letting out the smallest of frustrated sighs, Shiva said in afriendlymanner."While I do like your confidence, the Demon King of this world is incredibly powerful and not someone who can easily be beaten by martial arts. If we are to defeat them, then we''re going to need more heroes." "...Okay." Was all Simon said after nearly a minute of silently staring at her and pondering her response which had slightly triggered her and caused her left eyelid to twitch.
After taking a minute to calm down, Shiva summoned the next hero, Angel. She repeated the same chant she had done when it came to summoning Simon, but instead of saying Simon''s name at the end, she said Angel''s full name which caused the blinding light to appear again. It took several seconds to vanish, but once it was gone, Shiva was greeted by the sight of her second hero. He was about as tall as Simon, and instead of having reddish-brown hair, he had hair that was white as snow. His eyes were light brown, and his build was a mix between muscular and thin. His clothing was also nothing spectacular. "He... He looks nowhere near what I imagined him to look like."Shiva declared upon seeing him. She had imagined him to be this tall, robust, and burly man, but instead of seeing that, she was met with the sight of a man with average looks. It was something she didn''t see coming at all. "What the? Where the hell am I!?" Angel shouted hysterically as he looked around only to spot Simon and lock eyes with him. "And why the hell are you here, Simon!?" He then asked in the same tone as before. "Oh, hey Angel." Simon casually said in response to being questioned. It seemed he was not paying attention to the summoning, for there was no way Simon could have just casually responded to him like that. "Um, excuse me, but do you two know each other?" Shiva questioned in an uncertain manner which caused the two males to shift their attention to her. "... Who the fuck are you and what''s with that skanky ass outfit of yours?" Angel asked her after a few seconds of staring with a small frown and confusion in his voice. Shiva didn''t quite understand his second question, but for some reason, it pissed her off a lot. "I am the Goddess Shiva, and I have summoned you to defeat the Demon King." She told him after taking a deep breath. "I see," Is all Angel said before directing his attention back to Simon and saying. "So what exactly is going on here? This bitch didn''t really answer my question, and she kind of gives me insane vibes." "Hey, who are you calling bitch?"Shiva thought with gritted teeth as some killing intent started to ooze out of her. She had dealt with a lot of people as a Goddess, but not a single one of them had blatantly said things like this in front of her with the straightest of faces. "I don''t know," Simon answered with a shrug. "I at first thought I like passed out or something and I was just having the strangest of dreams, but after seeing you here, I assumed this all was real." Fending off the urge to release a sigh, Shiva started to wonder if luck was truly on her side or not. "Uh-huh." Was Angel''s response before diverting his gaze back to the Goddes. "Hey uh, I forgot your name, but what was it you wanted us to do?" "... You''re kidding, right?" Shiva asked in pure disbelief. "Do I look like I''m kidding?" Angel shot back while pointing at his face which was a straight face that only made Shiva want to scream in rage, and ask him what the blazes is wrong with him. However, because she was a Goddess, she instead answered his question, although she had done so in the most lack lustering manners after staring at him for a good while. "... To save the world by defeating the Demon King." "Okay, that sounds simple, but I got a question for you." Angel revealed with a couple nods of his head. "And that is?" Shiva questioned. "What ifIdon''t want to save the world?" He asked her with the tiniest of smirks and traces of amusement in his voice. "I mean, it''s not like I''m really getting something out of it, am I?" "... If I could send you back, I would have done so the moment you called me, bitch, but unfortunately I can''t, so I''m stuck with you." She stated in a tired and aloof tone. She no longer wished to deal with this guy, and just wanted to summon the next hero. "Well, that''s a little uncalled for if you ask me." He told her with a hurt expression. "What exactly did I do to piss you off miss'' grumpy pants?" At this, Shiva practically had a mental breakdown.
After taking a good five to ten minutes of breathing in and out to calm herself, Shiva tried to summon the third hero, Evan. However, it took a little bit longer than usual due to Angel interrupting her chant multiple times. She had done the same thing she had done when it came to summoning the previous heroes, but because Angel was justthattype of person, she was constantly getting interrupted by him. Eventually, he stopped, and after doing so, Shiva begged for this next one to be a respectful and sensible guy. With the blinding flash coming and going after several seconds, Shiva saw her third hero, and upon seeing him, she couldn''t help from letting loose a small gasp. Unlike the others who were along the lines of short and skinny, he was tall, broad-shouldered, and fit as a fiddle. He had spiky brownish-black hair with a small beard and mustache. His eyes were more dark blue than light blue, and he wore no shirt thus revealing the three tattoos he had on his body. Two of them were angel wings that were on his back and shoulders, and the third was going across his chest directly below his neck. "In death, sacrifice."Was what he had for his third tattoo. "He, he definitely looks the part."Shiva joyfully thought after examining him with a small smirk. She had been starting to worry that all of her heroes would be terrible, but after seeing him, she couldn''t help from feeling hope. Unfortunately, that hope she had was quickly destroyed when Angel shouted from the side. "Hey fatso put a shirt on! No one wants to see you and your man boobs!" "Fuck you, Angel!" Evan instinctively shouted back as he glared at him "I''m sexy, and there-" He had abruptly stopped talking when finally noticing the lady in the room. "Ahem, well, hello beautiful." He greeted after coughing into his hand. He had flashed her a smirk and gave her a wave of his hand that made Shiva want to facepalm hard. "I couldn''t help from noticing you checking me out from over there." "... I''m assuming you know those two?" She asked him in the most disinterested tone while directing a thumb to Simon and Angel. "Yeah, they''re two of my best friends, but foryou, I wouldn''t mind dropping them." He answered with a wink. "Wow, what a dick." "Eh, what do you expect? It''s Evan." At this, Shiva didn''t even bother telling him that she was a Goddess and he was a hero. Instead, she simply told him to just go stand next to his friends in silence. Unfortunately, Evan didn''t go over there for several minutes.
After having to deal with Evan''s attempts of hitting on her, and begrudgingly telling him that he was a hero and that she needed him, Shiva summoned the next hero, Brendan. She was reluctant to do so out of fear that he would be just like the others, but because she couldn''t go back and get another document, she had no choice but to summon him. With the fourth flash of light coming and going, Shiva was able to see her fourth hero. He was tall like the last one she had just summoned, although he wasn''t as broad shoulder as he was, and was more of a mix between lanky and muscular. His hair was medium length and brown, and his eyes hazel. The clothing he wore was what people would wear when going to church. "He, he looks nice."Is what Shiva thought upon seeing him."But looks can be deceiving! I''m sure he''s going to be just as bad as the others and have some sort of connection with them!" And she was right, he did have sort of connection with Evan, Angel, and Simon, but it wasn''t the one she was expecting him to have. "Well, well, if it isn''t Brendan!" Angel declared while crossing his arms and nearly shouting the last part. "The guy who''s always like,I gotta go now or else my dad will beat me." The tone Angel had spoken in when saying the last part was how a little kid would talk, which was a pathetic high pitched voice. "Have any problems getting here, Brendan? Or was your dad like,where the hell you going, Brendan!?Did you forget that tonight''s game night with the family?" Evan questioned with an amused look carved onto his face. The way he had spoken when imitating Brendan''s father was like how someone from the South of North America would speak, in a country accent. Simon didn''t say anything major, but he did say that what they both had said was funny. "Okay guys, look I said I was sorry for leaving yesterday, you don''t have to get that upset about it." Brendan apologized with a small chuckle. "Fuck off, you traitor." Came Evan''s immediate response. "It''s because of you we lost that game." "Yeah, if you hadn''t have left us, then we would have won, but because you were all like, Igotta go play with the family, we lost." Angel added with a disapproving look. "Agreed." Simon affirmed with a nod of his head. Meanwhile, as they were saying these things to him and more, Shiva came to realize that Brendan wasn''t a bad person at all. He was just a nice guy that hanged out with him, which resulted in him getting bullied by them!
After introducing herself to Brendan, and telling him that everything will be okay and that if he needs anything he just needs to ask her, Shiva summoned the next and final hero, Baun. Of course, while she was doing the chant, the three of them continued to make fun of Brendan before suddenly making fun of one another but this was something she didn''t actually take notice of due to her concentrating. With the final flash of light appearing and disappearing, Shiva bore witness to her final hero. He was a little bit taller than Simon and Angel, but was about an inch shorter than Brendan and Evan. He had a toned muscle frame with jet black dreadlock in a ponytail. His eyes were goldish hazel eyes, and he had a tattoo sleeve of a crow with feathers on his right arm. The clothing he wore was gym clothes and on his hands were fighting gloves. "He doesn''t look-"Shiva started. "Ah, so I just got Isekai''d? That''s nice. It wasn''t like I was in the middle of something important, but it''s whatever." Baun stated after looking around and spotting Shiva. "-Nevermind, I can already tell by his voice, he''s going to be just like the others." She finished as what little hope of him being a respectable guy disappearing like the wind. "Oh great, it''sthis guy." Angel announced in a somewhat annoyed manner causing Baun to shift his attention to the person that had just spoken. "Oh fuck that, don''t tell me I have to save the world with you four?" Baun questioned upon seeing Evan, Angel, Simon, and Brendan. "What''s that suppose to mean?" Evan asked in a slightly heated tone while glaring at the other muscular man. "Yeah,what is that suppose to mean?" Brendan asked while crossing his arms and scowling. "It means the world is doomed if I have to save it with you fuckwits." Baun blatantly told them. "Excuse me, but I was the second one summoned here, so therefore you''re saving the world with me, not the other way around." Angel declared with a raised hand. "Yeah, you were the last one brought here, so if anything you''re saving the world with us." Brendan agreed heartily. "Shut up, Brendan." Angel said in a slightly annoyed voice shooting him a look. "Yeah, shut up Brendan don''t help him." Evan told him while also shooting him a disapproving look. "Bitch, she obviously teleported me here last, because I''m the strongest out of us and she was saving the best for last." Baun proclaimed with a triumphant look written on his face. "Those are some bold words from what I''m hearing." Simon declared with a small and nervous chuckle. "Wanna try backing them up?" "Bruh, Simon don''t even try, I would honestly smack the shit out of you." Baun told him while giving him a hand that said to stop while he still can. "Oh yeah? Prove it right here right now, you won''t." Angel challenged with a straight face. "You don''t think I won''t?" Baun asked him with a raised eyebrow. "Pfft, no I just wanna see you beat the shit out of Simon." Angel revealed with some laughter. Meanwhile, as they continued to chat with one another and act like their usual selves, Shiva asked herself this one thing. "Am I seriously going to have to travel with these guys!?"
To Be Continued... Chapter II: Equipping The Heroes! Chapter II: Equipping The Heroes!
"Alright, so, now that I have all of your attention once more, allow me to first introduce myself again, I am the Goddess, Shiva, the current Goddess of Atlas, and I have summoned you all here to defeat the Demon King." Shiva declared after letting out a slightly exhausted sigh. She had spent the last ten minutes trying her hardest to get her heroes to stop fighting with one another, for it wasn''t long ago the five of them came to the conclusion of needing a leader for their group. She, at first, tried to tell them that she would be handling all of the important talks and whatnot, and that she would be leading them, but none of them paid her any attention, and basically ignored her. They were all adamant about becoming the leader of the group, except for Brendan who was asked by each and every one of them if he would support them and not their colleagues. "Just the thought about how they were all willing to kill each other just to be the leader of the group makes me wonder if these guys are actually villains instead of heroes." Shiva thought with a shudder going down her spine. Indeed had she not used some magic to gain their attention, she would have bear witness to her heroes killing one another for almost all of them were smirking viciously and glaring at one another while leaking out a tremendous amount of killing intent. None of them said anything upon hearing this information once more from her except for one. "How many times are you going to introduce yourself? It''s getting kind of old and stale." Angel, the one Shiva found to be the rudest of them all had said this to her, all while maintaining that straight face of his that she sees as annoying. And it was because of him saying this, Simon also spoke his thoughts on that topic. "Agreed, it''s kind of getting old, just like Evan and his attempts of picking up girls." "Oi, are you wanting to feel how hard I can punch, Simon?" Evan questioned while shooting him a glare. As Simon was about to respond, the Goddess clapped her hands together and said in a loud and stern voice like how a mother when dealing with her two misbehaving children. "Enough!" This had gained their attention once more, and upon having all their eyes back on her, she put her hand on top of her forehead, and said in a slightly tired/irritated tone. "Can you guys please stop going at one another''s'' throats, and start taking this seriously? An entire world rests on your guys'' shoulders and seeing you act like this troubles me greatly." "Well, I mean, I''m not trying to be mean here, but like, you haven''t exactly told us anything important," Baun told her with only a hint of apology in his voice. "all you have said so far really is that you''re a Goddess of the world and that we need to defeat the Demon King." "Yeah." Brendan affirmed. "I mean, he''s not wrong." Angel agreed with some reluctance. "Yep." Simon assured. "Mmm, that''s pretty accurate of what we''ve been told so far." Evan declared with a few nods of his head after giving it a little thought. Realizing that what Baun said was nothing, but the truth, Shiva exhaled softly, and said in a much more relaxed voice. "I see, well then let us move onto the next thing, your status windows. Everyone say, status." "Stats." "Attributes." "Properties." "Statistics." "Status." Upon the five uttering these words, only one them had a 3D window pop up in front of them that displayed all of their stats for her to see, and that was Brendan. He was the only one that said the word she told them to say. "... I said, status, sta¡¤tus." She said to the four after silently staring at them with a look of annoyance. She had assumed they were going to finally stop messing around, and get serious, but it seemed that wasn''t the case at all. "I mean, I don''t see why mine didn''t pop up, I basically did say that. I just shortened it." Angel told her with a shrug. "... I just said attributes so you can look at me like that." Evan revealed with a toothy smile. "Your annoyed face is kinda hot." "Yeah, I just wanted to mess with you, and see how you''d react." Simon told her with only a bit of amusement in his monotone voice. "I was just wondering if it would appear if I used a synonym, you know? Because properties is a synonym of status." Baun explained in his defense. Shiva said nothing at this, and did her hardest to maintain a neutral expression, but underneath it, she was losing it. She could understand Baun''s reasoning, and surprisingly Angel''s, but both Evan''s and Simon''s reasoning was triggering. Feeling like they needed to get a move on and actually start being serious, Brendan said, "Come on guys, let''s just listen to what she tells us to do, I kind of want to see this other world." "Brendan!" Shiva practically cried with tears of happiness. "I''m so glad you''re at least taking this serious! Honestly, if you weren''t here I''m not sure what I would do!" Meanwhile, as she finished this thought of hers,Evan curtly told Brendan while shooting him a sharp look. "Shut the fuck up Brendan before I beat you like how I beat your whore mother." "Oof." Was what Angel said upon hearing this declaration while Baun said, "Damn, Evan was a little savage there, not gonna lie." "Alright well that''s a little far there, Evan." Brendan told him while friends said that stuff. "You think?" Shiva thought while looking at Brendan with surprise in her eyes. She couldn''t help from being a little amazed by his somewhat unfazed attitude, for had she been in his place, she probably would have snapped at him. "Sorry, I was still a little upset with you ditching us yesterday, so I couldn''t resist the temptation of telling you to shut up." Evan apologized while laughing and scratching the back of his neck. Shiva couldn''t believe the logic she had just heard, and had to fight off the urge of calling him a jerk and so much more that were pretty vulgar. Meanwhile, Brendan exhaled loudly and said to him with the tiniest bit of irritation in his voice while shooting Evan a glare. "I already said I was sorry for that." "I know," Evan revealed as a shit-eating grin took form on his face. "but that doesn''t mean I forgive you for it."Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Finding it harder and harder to not call Evan terrible things, Shiva began to shake uncontrollably. "You guys," She started in a low voice that was just loud enough for the five of them to hear before taking a deep breath and calming herself. "are really starting to get under my skin, so can we just get the explanation of the status window and your status'' done and over with so we can move on?" While not entirely sure what it is they were doing was wrong, Evan offered her an apology. "I''m sorry, had I known we were agitating you this much I would have never done it." "No you wouldn''t, you''re a piece of shit." Angel stated as he shot a scowl at Evan. "Yeah, who you trying to fool, nigga?" Baun questioned. Not wanting to hear any more of it, the Goddess said to them all. "Anyways, let''s go over your status''."
Once finished with her explanation of the status window, what happens to them when they die, and why she will be accompanying them on this journey, Shiva let out a slightly relieved sigh. She had feared they would interrupt her, and make fun of one another''s stats, but to her surprise, they did none of that, and instead listened to what she had to say, and kept their comments down on the low. "While, I''m thankful they didn''t interrupt me and start another argument with one another, I can''t help but feel like I"m just going to have to get used to how they act." Shiva thought as her lips curved down slightly. She wasn''t a huge fan of that idea, but seeing how they were all in their late teens to early twenties, she found it highly unlikely they would change their attitude and behavior for her, which was something she saw to be very unfortunate. Nonetheless, she was just happy that they had some sense in them, for had they continued to be immature, she probably would have just given up then and accepted the fact that her world is doomed. "Alright, now that we have all of that out of the way and done, let me open up a portal to Atlas, so that we may get you all some equipment." She told them after feeling like there was nothing else important she needed to tell them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold the phone, we haven''t even talked about rewards, so we can''t leave yet." Angel declared in a serious tone. Shiva wasn''t the only one confused by his declaration and said in unison with Angel''s fellow heroes. "Rewards?" "Yeah," He affirmed. "I had asked you earlier about what''s in it for me, and you still have yet to answer the question, so until then, I''m not moving. Not until I know what I''m getting out of it." "Dude, are you for real?" Baun questioned while giving him a dubious look. He wanted to believe that he was just joking and messing with her, but because it was Angel, he wasn''t sure if he was or wasn''t. "No, I just brought this up because I wanted her to look at me with disgust because I''m a weirdo like Evan." Angel sarcastically answered which earned a surprised and offended, "Hey!" from Evan as he rolled his eyes. "Of course, I''m being serious here, I want something out of this." He finished in a voice that was more along the lines of annoyed now and not even bothering to acknowledge Evan''s outburst. At this, Baun was a little flabbergasted and had to resist the temptation of smacking him upside the head. Meanwhile, Shiva was at a complete loss of words. She had, without a doubt, planned on rewarding each and every one of them should they prevail and defeat the Demon King, but after hearing this from him, she was tempted not to reward them at all. "Yeah, I also wanna know what we''re getting out of this," Simon admitted with a nervous chuckle. "like we''re going to be putting our lives on the line here, so I also want to know what we get out of this." "Wow, and they call me the piece of shit." Evan declared with a shake of his head. "Yeah, for real." Brendan agreed with a look of disappointment in his eyes. "Look, you guys know me, I''m not somebody that does something unless I''m getting something out of it." Angel proclaimed. "Yeah saving the world might be fun and all, but unless I''m getting something cool out of it, I see no reason why I should do it." "I agree." Simon declared with a nod of his head. "Unless we''re getting something out of it, we''re not gonna do it." "... Okay, do you two have something in mind?" Shiva asked after several seconds of staring at them. At this, Angel gave it some thought before smirking viciously and saying. "I want the power to kill a God." "Not happening." She rejected instantaneously. "What? Why not!?" Angel asked in a surprised manner. "Are you really asking that?" Is what everyone in the room thought except for Simon and Angel. Deciding to ignore his question, Shiva shifted her gaze to Simon and said to him. "What about you? What would you like as your reward?" "Huuuhhh, what would I want?" He asked himself out loud as he pondered the question. "Oh, I know! I want a bear! A God-killing bear!" "Are you, are you being serious?" Shiva asked him after a few seconds of staring at him with astonishment. She couldn''t tell if he was being serious or if he was just messing with her due to his voice being so monotone. "... Yes." He told her after silently staring at her. "I-Okay then, at the end of this you''ll get a God-killing bear." She announced. She had thought about denying his request, but instead, just simply decided to approve it since she didn''t want to hear a much more unreasonable request. "Wooooowww! Okay then." Angel stated after hearing Simon''s request get approved. "You don''t approve of my request, but you approve of his? Alright, I see you." Shiva said nothing at this, and thought. "This is gonna be a long journey."
After listening to a few more requests of his, which were all denied, Shiva told him they''ll discuss his reward later, and that for now they need to Atlas and get their gear before the shops close. Angel, of course, was reluctant to go, but was eventually convinced to go through the teleportation portal by his friends. Once they went through, the six of them were met by the sight of grassy hills with a town on the horizon. "Huh, I don''t know why, but I was expecting this world to be a little bit more different." Evan confessed with a small frown after looking around. "And what exactly were you expecting?" Baun asked him with a trace of curiosity in his voice. He wouldn''t admit, but he was also expecting the world to be a little different than Earth. "I don''t know, like two suns maybe with one of them being red and the other one being yellow and maybe three moons?" Evan answered as he shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, this world is another world, so I was expecting its sky to be somewhat different than ours." "Yeah, I can understand that." Brendan agreed. "Shut up, Brendan." Evan instinctively told him earning a chuckle from his friends. "Damn Evan, why you so mean to Brendan today? What did he do to you?" Angel questioned with a tiny smirk and amusement in his voice. He was having a hard time holding him back his emotions this time. "Just because." Evan told him with another shrug of his shoulders. As they were saying these things and more, they made their way to the town on the horizon. Once arriving at the town, they began to make their way to the armor/weapon shop, and as they did they continued to chat with one another. Meanwhile, Shiva couldn''t help but notice some of the townspeople were sending them some questionable gazes. She wasn''t the only one who noticed the looks they were getting, almost everyone except for Simon had noticed them, and started to wonder why they were receiving these looks as well as talk about it with one another and give guesses as to why they were getting these looks. Of course, the reason why was because of the tattooed people in the group, Evan and Baun. Tattoos weren''t something that existed in this world, and the only thing close to it was a Demon''s marking, so seeing it on their bodies was enough to attract their attention. Obviously, both Evan and Baun were unaware of this, and simply assumed it was because of the clothing they wore, for it was from another world entirely.
Upon reaching the armor/weapon shop, the Goddess told them before entering to let her do the talking. After that was said, the six of them entered and were instantly greeted by the shopkeepers, which happened to be a large, burly bald man with brown skin and a great big beard, and a woman with fair skin, long black hair, violet eyes, and a slender but somewhat curvy figure. They both appeared to be in their early to mid-thirties, and the woman had a beauty mark on the left side of her face, while the man had a scar going down his left eye and to his cheek. As for their attire, the man wore a chest piece that protected only his upper torso with a grayish tank top like shirt underneath it, he wore a belt with brown pants, and brown boots that had fur cuffs. As for the woman she wore a white and red tunic that went down to her mid-calves making it look like she was wearing a dress. "Welcome to the Iron Maiden, what can we do for you?" The two of them said in unison as the heroes and Goddess moved to the counter. "I need five of your best sets of armor and weapons." Shiva revealed as she had a large brown bag that was filled with gold coins manifest in her right hand. She then put on the counter, and as she did this, Evan whispered in a voice that wasn''t as quiet as he thought it was. "Not gonna lie, I''m a little envious of this guy here, his wife is smoking hot." At this, the woman blushed a little while the man couldn''t help from grinning. He knew his wife was beautiful, but hearing somebody say they were jealous of him made it impossible not to smile. While they did this, Baun whispered something as well, but unlike Evan, he was a little quieter. "I agree, she is hella hot, but if I''m being real right now, I kind of wanna fight this dude, he looks pretty tough, so I kind of wanna throw hands with him." Shiva said nothing upon hearing them say these things, but she was a little relieved the male shopkeeper didn''t get mad at Evan for looking at his wife like that. After checking the bag, the male shopkeeper nodded, and said as he looked at the six of them. "Alrighty, follow me to the back, and we''ll get you all suited up with some of the best stuff we''ve got to offer."
To Be Continued... Chapter III: First Fight. Chapter III: First Fight.
Upon walking out of the Iron Maiden, Evan let loose a yawn and said aloud. "Man, is anyone feeling a little tired?" He was no longer shirtless and wearing nothing but shorts; he was now decked out in a full suit of armor that was made out of Steel. The armor was a dark jade color with silvery-gray trims lining it, and the clothing he wore underneath it was black. It had a tan fur collar to provide the wearer warmth, and its left pauldron was slightly bigger than its right. Strapped onto his back was a greatsword that had a wolf''s head hilt, and strapped to the right side of his waist was a long knife that was shorter than a shortsword. He had a feathered visor bascinet that was also a dark jade color with the feather being red in his left hand. "Nah, that''s just you." Angel answered as he walked out of the shop. He as well was no longer wearing his clothing from Earth. Instead, he was now wearing a chest piece, pauldrons, gauntlets, and greaves that were black, gold and made out of Steel. Underneath the plated armor, he wore a long black gambeson that went to his thighs, and black linen pants. His boots were also black, and he wore a veiled black coif. Slung onto his back were two bastard swords, and attached to his waist was a broadsword. "Really? No one else is feeling a little tired?" Evan questioned as he looked at Angel and the other person that was following right behind him, which happened to be Brendan. He, like the two before him, was no longer wearing his Earth clothing, and was now wearing plated armor made out of Luminite, a light metal that was a little sturdier than leather, that covered his chest, stomach, and shoulders. He also wore arm guards that were made out of Luminite, and strapped to his back was a compact bow, and a quiver filled with arrows. He wore a long-sleeved linen shirt with a glove on his right hand and linen pants that were all blackish-gray, while the armor was tinted gold. He also had a blackish-gray cape that had a hood on it, but that was currently down. Strapped to his waist were two short swords that were a bit longer than a gladius, but shorter than a broadsword. "I mean, I''m feeling a little tired, but that''s about it." Brendan confessed as he came to a stop right next to Angel and Evan. Following behind Brendan was Baun, who now wore an assassin''s coat, which was black with dark sage green around the sides and in the inside of the hood. He also wore brown leather braces, and brown leather boots to match them. He wore a half cloak that he had coiled around his neck a few times to conceal the gorget he wore, and to keep the cloak from unwrapping itself and in place, he had on a reinforced spaulder. Underneath his robes was a brown jerkin, and wrapped around his waist was a crimson-colored sash along with his belt. His pants were black and stuffed neatly into his boots. Attached to his belt, and sheathed were two twin curved daggers, and on his back was not only a short spear, but a small one-handed crossbow that was more on his shoulder than his back. He also had a few throwing knives on him as well, and hidden in his boots was another dagger. "Hmm, what''s up?" Baun asked them as Simon walked out of the shop wearing a mage-like-knight outfit that was dark blue and gray. He wore shoulder pauldrons over his robes as well as a gorget, and had on underneath it studded leather armor. Equipped on his hands were metal gauntlets, and on top of his legs were metal greaves, and sabatons made out of Steel. He had a helmet similar to that of the Great Helm, but was slightly different with his hood over it, and in his right hand was a staff made out of wood and metal with a crimson orb at the end that was secured by four dragon-like talons. ¡°Eh, nothing much,¡± Brendan revealed to Baun as the Goddess exited the shop after Simon. ¡°Evan was just wondering if anyone else was feeling a little tired.¡± ¡°Is it because he¡¯s lazy?¡± Simon questioned, his voice a little muffled due to his helmet, but not to the point where they couldn¡¯t understand a word he was saying. ¡°What? Simon, what the hell does laziness have to do with me being tired?¡° Evan answered in a slightly irritated tone. The others said nothing at this, but they were was also curious about it as well. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Simon declared with a shrug of his shoulders making Evan and the others frown. ¡°Well, how about next time you don¡¯t say stuff like that unless you know, okay buddy?¡± Evan requested with a slightly wicked smile. ¡°... Okay.¡± Was all Simon said in response, which made Shiva let loose a somewhat tired sigh. She was unable to hear most of their conversation due to her being preoccupied with the shopkeepers, aka paying them, but from what she did hear, she could tell it was nothing of importance. Hearing her sigh, Angel averted his gaze towards the Goddess, and said to her. ¡°What¡¯s with the long sigh? You not enjoying our company?¡± At this, she said nothing at first and shot him a look that said, ¡°Are you really asking me that?¡± before saying to him. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest here, then no, so far my time with you has been more along the lines of irritating than enjoyable.¡± ¡°Wow, okay then.¡± Angel said out loud in a voice that sounded like he had been offended. ¡°Way to be a bitch and just slap us in the face.¡± ¡°I mean, you did kind of walk into that one.¡± Brendan told him in a slightly hesitant manner as Shiva resisted the urges to yell at him. ¡°Shut up, Brendan.¡± Angel rebutted as he shot him an annoyed look. ¡°Yeah, shut up, Brendan.¡± Evan started as he and the others felt a shift in the wind. ¡°No one wants to hear your smartass remarks.¡± At this, Brendan said nothing, and began to wonder what he had done in his past life to deserve these type of friends. Meanwhile, Shiva couldn¡¯t help from thinking about how he was able to deal with them and not lose his cool. With a sigh, Brendan said aloud in a slightly disinterested/tired voice. ¡°Whatever.¡± He was no longer interested in the current topic, and just wanted to get a move on. Unfortunately for him, his friends didn¡¯t take too kindly to him giving up, and the bullying became much worse than before. ¡°Wow, look at this faggot,¡± Evan began with a vicious grin. ¡°Doesn¡¯t even have the balls to argue back. He just drops the conversation because he knows he¡¯s in the wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Angel agreed heartily with a chuckle. ¡°Brendan¡¯s a little bitch.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Simon affirmed with a nod of his head. ¡°Oof, my boys being just straight up disrespectful to my man, Brendan.¡± Baun declared with a small laugh. At this, Shiva was about to say something, but before she was able to utter any words, Brendan spoke. ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue, Evan because there would be no point to it other than to sate you and Angel¡¯s boredom.¡± ¡°Yeah so? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Evan asked him as his grin got a little bit bigger. ¡°Can you guys-¡± She started but stopped due to hearing a faint and strange sound in the distance. She wasn¡¯t sure what exactly she had heard at first, but after a few seconds had passed, she heard the noise again except this time it was a little louder than before. ¡°What is that thing I¡¯m hearing?¡± She asked herself with a tiny frown manifesting on her face as the Heroes looked at her with curiosity. ¡°Can we, what?¡± Evan asked her after several seconds of silently staring at her. ¡°Do you all not hear that?¡± She asked them as her expression changed to one of concern. ¡°Hear what?¡± Baun and Brendan asked her almost simultaneously. ¡°Listen.¡± She ordered them as she held up her hand and one finger. At this, they said nothing and tried to listen to whatever it was she was hearing. It took them a couple of seconds to hear it, but after a while, Brendan said in an inquisitive manner. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Evan said with a shrug and uncertainty in his voice. ¡°it kind of sounds like a gun, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure guns don¡¯t exist in this world, just saying.¡± Angel dryly stated with an emotionless expression. ¡°Yeah, I highly doubt it as well.¡± Simon declared with his usual nervous chuckle. It wasn¡¯t long after Simon agreed with Angel did the town¡¯s bell start to ring repeatedly, which was quickly followed by someone screaming at the top of their lungs from the bell tower. ¡°DRAGON!!!¡± ¡°Dragon?¡± Almost all of the heroes parroted with eyes wide as saucers while Shiva freaked out internally. ¡°Are you kidding me!?! We haven¡¯t even left the starting village and we¡¯re already encountering a dragon!?!? I understand this is ranked as an SS-world, but this is just unreasonable!!¡± In the other worlds she had been the Goddess of, dragons were considered to be A or S-ranked beings, so they were usually avoided, at least at the starting stage. With the townspeople freaking out, and the towns¡¯ guarded running to their stations, Evan looked to the Goddess, and said in a curious manner. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± As Shiva shifted her attention towards Evan, she said nothing. She knew they couldn¡¯t just leave this village to fend the dragon off by themselves, especially since they were heroes, but the odds of them succeeding in killing the dragon and not dying in the process were not even a number on the chart. Biting the inside of her lower lip out of frustration, Shiva thought about what they should do as the sound of wings flapping became louder and louder and a thunderous roar reverberated across the sky. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, bruh?¡± Baun asked Evan, which had earned everybody¡¯s attention, including Shiva¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯re going to fight it and we¡¯re going to kill it.¡± A small silence ensued between the group before being broken by Angel, who started to laugh obnoxiously for several seconds like a madman. ¡°That¡¯s a good one.¡± He told him as his laughter came to an end. ¡°Really, it was hilarious.¡± ¡°Uh, Angel, I don¡¯t think he was kidding.¡± Brendan warned him with traces of concern in his voice. Angel didn¡¯t say anything at first, and instead, stared at Baun for almost several seconds. ¡°I hate to say it, but I think you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know if you know this, Baun, but we¡¯re all level one.¡± Simon pointed out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Shiva declared, breaking her silence. ¡°You all are heroes, and it¡¯s your responsibility to protect the people, even if it means costing you your lives.¡± At this, none of them said anything, but after a long while, and another roar being heard, Angel let loose a sigh, and said to Shiva. ¡°If that was supposed to be awe-inspiring, then I gotta say you need to work on your speeches, for that one sucked ass.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not really feeling that pumped up,¡± Evan revealed before pausing and putting on his helmet. ¡°but it¡¯s whatever. Now, let''s go kick this reptile''s ass.¡± ¡°Agreed, and don''t forget to improve on your speeches, lady.¡± Simon affirmed before popping his fingers and then his neck while holding onto his staff with the crease of his elbow. ¡°Eh, I think her speech was okay.¡± Brendan confessed as he took the bow that was slung over his shoulders off. Shiva didn¡¯t say anything upon hearing these remarks from them, and couldn¡¯t help from feeling like the atmosphere around them had changed entirely.
Once the dragon arrived at the town and circled it for a while, it landed in the town square, directly on top of the fountain that was located in the center of it, which was now destroyed because of that. Upon its landing, the five heroes, half a dozen guards, dozens of armed civilians, and a handful of adventures were met by the sight of a woman riding on top of it. She looked like she was in her early to mid-twenties and had a modest/somewhat large chest, a slim waist, a nice butt, and horns that looked like Kudu horns but were above her ears instead of being directly on top of her head. She also had pointy ears and had two wings similar to bats protruding from her back along with a tail. The attire she wore was a purply black high low dress that exposed some of her cleavage with a cape that had a silvery-white fur collar. She wore gloves that went up to her elbows that were also purply black, and wore black thigh high heeled boots. Her hair was lavender-black with one of her bangs going down the center of her forehead and to her nose before curving to the right, and her eyes were crimson red, and slitted like a snake. ¡°Salutations humans!¡± She greeted in a loud and clear voice. ¡°I am Vanessa Lustfall, His Majesty''s second daughter, and Incarnation of Lust, and today I have come here to kill those five men standing right there!¡± As she said this, she pointed at Evan, Angel, Brendan, Baun, and Simon who didn''t say anything in response. Meanwhile, Shiva was sweatdropping heavily, for she had just seen all of Vanessa''s stats as well as her dragon''s with God''s View, an ability only she could use.
Name:Vanessa Lustfall Title:Incarnation Of Lust Alignment:Demon Kingdom
Level:22 Race:Demon Reputation: -2121
Health:9278 Stamina:9277 Mana:9109
Mood:Confident Personality: Mischievious Potential: 227
Strength:170
Perception:120
Endurance:192
Charisma:622
Intelligence:179
Agility:101
Luck:60
Attack:637-757 Magic Attack:790-853 Physical Defense:725-758 Magical Defense: 850-902
Magic Resistance
Fire:65% Water:45% Ice: 40%
Earth:20% Dark:80% Holy:-50%
Poison:50% Electricity:10% Wind:10%
Charm:100% Destruction: 15% Void: 25%
Buffs: Succubus'' Charm (Passive) Faithful Companion (Passive) Wyvern Rider (Passive) Debuffs: Increased Holy Damage (Passive)
Skills/Abilities: Fireball (Lv20), Wall of Flames (Lv18), Firebeam (Lv19), Fire Shower (Lv20) Fire Arrow (Lv17), Blades Of Darkness (Lv22), Mark of Death (Lv21), Blood Rain (Lv16), Seduction (Lv23), Call To Arms (Lv9), etc.
Name:Bagon Title:Mount of Lust Alignment:Demon Kingdom
Level:12 Race:Fire Wyvern Reputation: -1766
Health:14023 Stamina:5222 Mana:5995
Mood:Neutral Personality:None. Potential:112
Strength:1092
Perception:721
Endurance:492
Charisma:220
Intelligence:89
Agility:239
Luck:5
Attack:873-923 Magic Attack:912-1142 Physical Defense:672-808 Magical Defense: 502-709
Magic ResistanceIf you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Fire:100% Water:0% Ice:0%
Earth:0% Dark:20% Holy:20%
Poison:50% Electricity:0% Wind:0%
Charm:100% Destruction: 0% Void: 0%
Buffs: Fire Immune (Passive) Charm Immune (Passive) Faithful Companion (Passive) Wyvern Rider (Passive) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Wyvern''s Breath (Lv29), Wyvern''s Roar (Lv29), Wyvern''s Charge (Lv29), and Tail Whip (Lv23).
"There''s no way they can kill these two things, especially at the same time. They''re going to die here and it''s going to be my fault because I told them to fight it."Shiva thought with regret written on her face and in her voice. While she was telling herself this, Evan broke their groups'' silence as the guards, adventures, and armed townspeople whispered things about them to one another. "You know, I was all for fighting this thing, but now I got two problems that are making me not want to fight it." He revealed in a loud voice that was a little muffled, but still clear for everyone to hear. "Oh, and what is that, hero?" Vanessa questioned with a smirk, which had confirmed everyone''s suspicions of who the five of them were. "Well, for one that''s not a dragon, that''s a wyvern." Evan pointed out as he put away his blade, which had gained everyone''s attention. "And two," he started as he removed his helmet and dropped it on the ground while walking towards her. "there''s no way I could fight someone whose beauty surpasses a Goddess, there is just no way." At this, the people around Evan made an outcry. "What do you mean you can''t fight them!? She''s a demon!" "Her beauty doesn''t surpass a Goddess! Our Goddess is the most beautiful woman ever!" "You''re a hero! Your job is to fight the Demon King and his forces! That''s why you were summoned!" Meanwhile, the Goddess just wanted to use her Godly powers and just kill Evan then and there, but there was just something off about his smile he was flashing to the Demon that made her stop. She didn''t know why, but there was just something scummy about it. She didn''t know what it was, but she felt like that smile of his was an evil that needed to be destroyed. As she thought this, Vanessa laughed loudly before saying to him. "My, oh my, I didn''t think I''d ever hear those words from a hero, and it''s true, this is not a dragon and is indeed a wyvern." "Yeah, dragons have four legs, right?" Evan asked her as he came to a stop a few meters away with that smirk of his that made Shiva''s skin crawl a little. "Indeed, now hear me out, hero." She told him with a smile of her own. "You seem like a smart guy, and my father could use smart guys, so here''s my offer. You kill your fellow heroes, and the townspeople before us, and I''ll let you live and come with me to the Demon King''s castle. I''ll even let you be my lover." "I never thought I''d say this, but I''m kind of envious of him right now." Angel confessed after hearing the offer. "Same, I never thought I''d want to be Evan before, but I guess there''s a first time for everything." Simon said with a bit of sadness in his voice. "Shouldn''t we, I don'' know, maybe kill him before he kills us?" Brendan asked with traces of concern in his voice as he looked at his friends. These words were also approved by the townspeople around them. "Nah fam, I believe in our boy, Evan, and I know he would never sell us out for a pair of tits like that." Baun assured with a confident aura surrounding him. "Ooooh, really?" Evan asked her with traces of hope in his voice, which had caused everyone to look at Baun with a deadpanned expression. "Yes!" She affirmed happily. "If you do this for me, we''ll be able to make, hot, passionate, and endless love!" "All you had to say was hot." Evan told her as he unsheathed the large dagger from his belt, which had caused her to smirk to get even bigger. "Fool, do you really think I''d let you be my lover?" She thought while staring down at him. "You a measly human? I''ll admit if you defeat them all I''ll let you live as my-" Whatever else she was going to think was abruptly cut off due to her wyvern tilting its head back and throwing her off of him while roaring out in pain. She didn''t quite see what he had done because she was more focused on her thoughts, but she did see his body turn out of her peripheral before being unsaddled. After hitting the ground, Vanessa got on all fours and saw Evan look back at those behind him as he took the greatsword back off of his back and shouted at them. "What are you all doing standing around!? Attack the damn thing already!" Not needing to be told another time the townspeople charged the wyvern that now had a dagger lodged in its left eye while releasing battle cries with Angel and Baun leading them, the latter of the two had picked up Evan''s helmet on the way and tossed it to him. As they did this, Simon invoked a chant for one of his special skills as Brendan fired his arrows while saying in a low voice. "Guide my arrow, Susanoo." "You," Vanessa started in a low, but surprisingly loud voice that had gained Evan''s attention. "You deceived me!" "Obviously, were you expecting something else?" Evan asked her as he stopped himself from putting on his helmet and watched her stand up. "Why?" She demanded with anger in her voice. She wanted, no she needed to know why he had done this when she had given him an offer like that. "Look, lady, you''re beautiful, ten out of ten would fuck instantly with no regrets, but that''s it. I would only smash, and then dump you because you know, I''m not into all that commitment and shit. You can miss me with that shit." He confessed with that same ass smile of his he was flashing her earlier that gave Shiva the scum vibe. "... He''s the enemy of women." Shiva thought with a deadpanned expression. She now understood why that smile of his gave her a scummy feeling, it was because he was a womanizer. Feeling as if she had been gravely insulted, Vanessa manifested dozens upon dozens of swords made out of Dark Magic around her and said to him. "I''m not going to kill you, Evan the Hero. I''m going to kill your friends, but you? I''m going to enslave you and make you my slave whose sole existence is pleasing me." "Yeah, sorry," Evan told her as he put on his helmet with one hand. "but I''m gonna have to do a hard pass on that shit. It just doesn''t turn me on." Vanessa let loose another laugh, and said, "I can''t wait to break that pride of yours, I''m going to enjoy it very much." Meanwhile, as they said these things, the wyvern''s tossing and turning slowly came to a halt, while Baun bellowed at the top of his lungs as he lead the charge. "Go for its left wing!" He then pulled out one of his daggers and his one-handed crossbow that was already loaded and aimed it at the wyvern''s left eye. "If Evan was able to make this throw after doing a 360, then there''s no way I''ll miss." He thought as he pulled the trigger and launched the bolt. It traveled at a high velocity, and to the townspeople''s surprise, it hit the wyvern directly in its left eye causing it to spaz out in pain again. After hitting his mark, Baun smirked as he quickly put his crossbow back on his shoulder and unsheathed his other dagger all while running before jumping onto the wyvern''s chest directly underneath its wing and planting his knives into it. Not far behind him was Angel, who was running with both Bastard swords out, the guards, and adventures who struck not only at the wyvern''s left wing, but also at its left leg and underbelly. With the wyvern not being able to see out of its left eye at all, the wyvern turned its body, and attempted to kill the humans attacking it with its tail, but was unsuccessful in killing all of them. As it did this, Simon finished chanting the special skill Blizzard, and a small-medium size ice cloud appeared not far above it and dropped dozens upon dozens of icicles on its back. The skill/spell didn''t last for long, and not all of the icicles had landed on the dragon''s back, for it had moved after the first four seconds, but it had nonetheless dealt some damage to it. As all of this was going on, the wyvern didn''t seem to notice that Baun was using his daggers to climb the wyvern, and was nearly about to climb onto its backside. Meanwhile, Shiva couldn''t help from looking at all of them with amazement in her eyes. She had feared they were all going to die, especially Evan since he was the only one fighting Vanessa, but to her surprise, they were all doing well. However, what had surprised her the most is when she saw Evan''s full stats with God''s View. She didn''t really look when they had displayed it earlier in the God''s Realm for she was more focused on just getting the explanation done and over with, so seeing it now had come as a shock to her.
Name:Evan Russell Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:1 Race:Human Reputation:2
Health:410 Stamina: 302/369 Mana:110/240
Mood:Confident Personality:Flirtatious Potential: 500
Strength:103
Perception:86
Endurance:99
Charisma:124
Intelligence:132
Agility:80
Luck:501
Attack:220-242 Magic Attack:88-102 Physical Defense:245-265 Magical Defense: 168-197
Magic Resistance
Fire:5% Water:25% Ice:6%
Earth:40% Dark:0% Holy:0%
Poison: 8% Electricity:50% Wind: 45%
Charm:100% Destruction: 0% Void: 10%
Buffs: Lion''s Roar (Active) Charm Immune (Passive) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Berserk (Lv3), Lion''s Roar (Lv2), and Power Beam (Lv4).
"How can this be!?" She asked herself as she stared at him with awe."How can his luck be so high!? Is he secretly a God of Luck!?!" Now wanting to know if any of her other heroes possed luck such as this, Shiva turned her head and looked back at the other four heroes.
Name:Baun Trevelyan Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:1 Race:Human Reputation:21
Health:420 Stamina:450/470 Mana:285
Mood:Excited Personality:Scummy Potential: 499
Strength:112
Perception:101
Endurance:75
Charisma:329
Intelligence:151
Agility:129
Luck:127
Attack:325-367 Magic Attack: 121-142 Physical Defense:180-202 Magical Defense:248-269
Magic Resistance
Fire:55% Water:33% Ice:66%
Earth:50% Dark:25% Holy:0%
Poison: 28% Electricity:0% Wind:15%
Charm:90% Destruction: 0% Void: 4%
Buffs: Lion''s Roar (Active) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Phantom Walk (Lv3), Hunter''s Evasion (Lv2), Shadowy Disguise (Lv3), Nightblade (Lv4).
Name:Simon Churchill Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:1 Race:Human Reputation: 12
Health:220 Stamina: 145/150 Mana: 490/540
Mood:Calm Personality:None. Potential: 520
Strength:63
Perception:102
Endurance:57
Charisma:69
Intelligence:428
Agility:38
Luck:93
Attack:88-109 Magic Attack: 350-388 Physical Defense:150-175 Magical Defense:150-175
Magic Resistance
Fire:55% Water:55% Ice:40%
Earth:55% Dark:0% Holy:0%
Poison:8% Electricity:55% Wind: 55%
Charm: 0% Destruction:0% Void:12%
Buffs: Lion''s Roar (Active) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Fire Shower (Lv2), Tidal Wave (Lv2), Blizzard (Lv2) Lightning Storm (Lv2), Earthquake (Lv2).
Name:Angel McGrath Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:1 Race:Human Reputation: 16
Health:675 Stamina:340 Mana:200
Mood:Neutral Personality:Sarcastic Potential: 505
Strength:332
Perception:109
Endurance:142
Charisma:102
Intelligence:175
Agility:63
Luck:40
Attack:200-222 Magic Attack:109-132 Physical Defense:198-220 Magical Defense:202-224
Magic Resistance
Fire:25% Water:65% Ice:65%
Earth:47% Dark:6% Holy:0%
Poison:12% Electricity: 0% Wind:15%
Charm:100% Destruction: 1% Void: 7%
Buffs: Lion''s Roar (Active) Experience Gain Increase (Passive) Charm Immune (Passive) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Warrior''s Howl (Lv4), Juggernaut Charge (Lv2) Immovable (Lv2)
Name:Brendan Everson Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:1 Race:Human Reputation:9
Health:327 Stamina:410/420 Mana:300/330
Mood:Collected Personality:Nice Potential: 503
Strength:121
Perception:457
Endurance:60
Charisma:99
Intelligence:101
Agility:108
Luck:132
Attack:401-441 Magic Attack:160-189 Physical Defense:122-144 Magical Defense:148-168
Magic Resistance
Fire:55% Water:50% Ice:52%
Earth:20% Dark:0% Holy:0%
Poison:5% Electricity:50% Wind:10%
Charm:9% Destruction: 0% Void: 8%
Buffs: Lion''s Roar (Active) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Flame Bolt (Lv3), Ice Bolt (Lv3), Water Bolt (Lv3).
"... By the Heavens, are you serious?" She asked herself after seeing the other four''s high-end attributes. "How can they have status'' like that?" She had a hard time believing that a certain trait of theirs was tremendously higher than the others, so she looked at all five of them again to make sure her eyes weren''t playing tricks on her. After looking at all five of them again, Shiva had no words to say. She had assumed her eyes were deceiving her, but it seemed that wasn''t the case, for their stats had remained the same. Meanwhile, as Shiva was standing off in the distance being speechless, Vanessa shouted at Evan with rage and fury in her voice. "Stop evading my attacks and fight me, you coward!" She screamed at him. "You''re a Hero, aren''t you!?" "I consider myself more along the lines of an anti-hero, baby girl." Evan confessed as he evaded the wave of blades made out of Dark Magic with what looked like ease. "That white knight shit, just isn''t my style." Growing more aggravated with her opponent, Vanessa conjured up two fireballs in her hands, and shouted at him once more. "Who are you calling baby girl!? I am not a baby, nor am I a little girl! I am the second in line to succeed my father, the Demon King!" "Well, right now, you''re kind of whining like a little baby, so could''ve fooled me." Evan declared before dodging the two fireballs she had hurled at him. "That''s it!" She roared with all of her might. "I had figured you would come to me, and fight me, but if you won''t do that then I''ll come to you!" As she yelled the last part, a black blade with a golden hilt appeared out of thin air and in her right. It was about as long as a broadsword if not that a few inches longer than one. "Are you sure that''s the wisest thing to do?" Evan questioned her with curiosity in his voice. "Because if I''m being honest, I don''t think it is." "I don''t care what you think! I''m going to kill you!" She yelled. "I thought you wanted to enslave me?" He asked her in a slightly teasing manner, which had caused her to fly towards him with her wings. "You know, make it to where my sole existence is just pleasuring you?" "Shut up!" She yelled as she swung at him and hit nothing but air. "You''re annoying and all you do is run away. I''d rather just kill you then give you the satisfaction of being in my company." As she told him these things, she continued to swing at him in an attempt to cut him down, but all of her attacks had either ended up hitting nothing or his own blade. "Well, that''s a little disappointing, I was kind of looking forward to what you had in store for me, but it''s whatever." He told her as he evaded her attacks. "Anyways, I think you should give up, at least for now, otherwise you''re going to be having to fly back home with those wings of your own." "What do you," She started as she looked over her shoulder only to gasp and then shout in surprise. "Bagon!" She had been so triggered by Evan''s remarks she wasn''t even aware her wyvern was taking a beating. However, before she was able to even move towards her pet wyvern, Vanessa felt someone push up against her from behind and grab her forehead as we as feel the coldness of a blade against her throat. "Know this, Vanessa," The person who had done this was none other than Evan. "I could have killed you just now, but I''m not going to. Instead, I''m gonna let you run away back to your father with your pet wyvern because I find you to be cute and want you to loathe me, okay? I want you to hate me for the humiliation I have caused you here to the point where you have an obsession for me, and I also want you to tell your father and all your siblings that we''ll be coming for them, you understand?" Vanessa said nothing at first, and felt her heart beat incredibly fast, but eventually, after who knows how long, she responded. "I-I understand." She stammered in a hushed voice that was about as loud as a whisper, which had caused him to let go of her. "Good," He told her as his voice shifted back to his normal and non-threatening one. "now go save your wyvern and remember, we''ll be coming for your asses."
To Be Continued... Chapter IV: Aftermath Of The First Fight. Chapter IV: Aftermath Of The First Fight.
"You had one job, Evan! You literally had one fucking job, and that was to kill the enemy, but instead of just doing that, you decided to let her go because you found her to be cute!!" Angel practically screamed as both Brendan and Simon kept him away from Evan who was on the ground holding his jaw. "Look, she didn''t get away with her wyvern, so I don''t really the problem here." Evan confessed while remaining on his backside and holding himself up with his right elbow. "The problem is that she''s our enemy!" Angel shouted in a voice that was filled with irritation and anger. "She came here with the intent to kill us, not to fucking fuck you, you dumbass!" "Angel, calm down a little." Brendan requested as he continued to keep him away from Evan. "You''re creating a scene." Indeed, while Angel was shouting at Evan, the townspeople had slowly gathered to congratulate them on slaying the wyvern, but at the moment, all they were seeing was Angel simply yell at his comrade. "So!?" Angel questioned Brendan in the same loud voice he had been yelling at Evan with. "They can look all they want and know that this dumbass allowed the demon to get away!" "It was to send a message, Angel," Evan revealed once more in an attempt to calm him down. "now she''ll tell all of her siblings and her father that we''re not to be fucked with." "Evan, do you seriously think, I would believe that crap?" Angel asked him after taking a deep breath. Meanwhile, as Evan gave Angel his response, Shiva stood quietly next to Baun who was quietly making a necklace with one of the wyvern''s teeth. She could understand him wanting to send a message to the Demon King, but that also could have been done by killing his daughter, so she wasn''t sure who to side with on this. Not entirely sure if Evan did the right thing or the wrong thing, Shiva looked at Baun, and said to him. "What are your thoughts on this matter?" "Hmm?" Baun hummed after a couple of seconds. "What do I think of what?" "Evan letting the Demon Princess go, what do you think of it?" She told him. "Well, I''m kind of on the fence about it." Baun confessed. "Like I can understand letting her run away to tell what had happened here, but letting her try to save her wyvern was stupid of him. I mean, had Brendan not spotted her coming towards us, we probably could have died." Indeed had Brendan not noticed her flying towards her wyvern, and called it out repeatedly, there was a chance one or more of them could have been killed. With a sigh, Shiva approached Simon, Brendan, Angel, and Evan and spoke to the last two. "Enough, Angel." Is what she first said in a slightly distressed manner. "I understand you''re not pleased with Evan''s actions, but what''s done is done, so let''s move on." "Not pleased?" Angel repeated in a somewhat hysterical voice before yelling. "Not pleased!? I''m sorry, but you weren''t the one who nearly died because of his stupid decision, lady! It was me!" He continued while thumping his chest to indicate he was the one who had nearly died. "Angel, I said I was sorry, what more do you want from me?" Evan asked him with a frown as he slowly got up. He had just confessed that what he had done was a mistake, and one he would never do again, so he was unsure what more Angel wanted from him. "I don''t know, at least at the moment, but once I do, I''ll let you know." Angel declared in a serious voice. "Until then just know that you''re below Brendan, for unlike you, he actually cares about his teammates and doesn''t spare our enemies because he wants to fuck them." Evan was quiet at first, and simply stared at his friend for several seconds to make sure he was being serious and not just messing with him. Once he saw that he was being one hundred percent serious, Evan closed his eyes and talked in a slightly weary voice."Alright then." After hearing that, Shiva let out a small sigh before using God''s View to check their stats.
Name:Evan Russell Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:5 Race:Human Reputation:5
Health:530 Stamina:399/429 Mana:245/300
Mood:Troubled Personality:Flirtatious Potential: 500
Strength:103
Perception:86
Endurance:69
Charisma:125
Intelligence:132
Agility:51
Luck:501
Attack:240-262 Magic Attack:108-122 Physical Defense:255-275 Magical Defense:178-207
Magic Resistance
Fire:5% Water:25% Ice:6%
Earth:40% Dark:0% Holy:0%
Poison:8% Electricity:50% Wind:45%
Charm:100% Destruction:0% Void:10%
Buffs: Charm Immune (Passive) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Berserk (Lv3), Lion''s Roar (Lv2), and Power Beam (Lv4).
Name:Simon Churchill Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:5 Race:Human Reputation:22
Health:340 Stamina:197/210 Mana:102/600
Mood:Nervous Personality:None. Potential: 520
Strength:63
Perception:102
Endurance:38
Charisma:69
Intelligence:429
Agility:18
Luck:93
Attack:108-129 Magic Attack:370-408 Physical Defense:155-180 Magical Defense:155-180
Magic Resistance
Fire:55% Water:55% Ice:40%
Earth:55% Dark:0% Holy:0%
Poison:8% Electricity:55% Wind:55%
Charm:0% Destruction:0% Void:12%
Buffs: None. Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Fire Shower (Lv2), Tidal Wave (Lv2), Blizzard (Lv3) Lightning Storm (Lv2), Earthquake (Lv2).
Name:Angel McGrath Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:6 Race:Human Reputation:46
Health:825 Stamina:385/415 Mana:275
Mood:Agitated Personality:Sarcastic Potential: 505
Strength:333
Perception:109
Endurance:122
Charisma:102
Intelligence:175
Agility:44
Luck:40
Attack:220-242 Magic Attack:129-152 Physical Defense:208-230 Magical Defense:212-234
Magic ResistanceDid you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Fire:25% Water:65% Ice:65%
Earth:47% Dark:6% Holy:0%
Poison:12% Electricity:0% Wind:15%
Charm:100% Destruction:1% Void:7%
Buffs: Experience Gain Increase (Passive) Charm Immune (Passive) Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Warrior''s Howl (Lv4), Juggernaut Charge (Lv2) Immovable (Lv2)
Name:Brendan Everson Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:5 Race:Human Reputation:28
Health:447 Stamina:468/480 Mana:390
Mood:Concerned Personality:Nice Potential: 503
Strength:121
Perception:458
Endurance:40
Charisma:99
Intelligence:101
Agility:88
Luck:132
Attack:421-461 Magic Attack:175-199 Physical Defense:132-154 Magical Defense:158-178
Magic Resistance
Fire:55% Water:50% Ice:52%
Earth:20% Dark:0% Holy:0%
Poison:5% Electricity:50% Wind:10%
Charm:9% Destruction:0% Void:8%
Buffs: None. Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Flame Bolt (Lv3), Ice Bolt (Lv3), Water Bolt (Lv3).
Name:Baun Trevelyan Title:Hero Alignment:Goddess
Level:5 Race:Human Reputation:50
Health:540 Stamina:490/530 Mana:345
Mood:Indifferent Personality:Scummy Potential: 499
Strength:113
Perception:101
Endurance:56
Charisma:329
Intelligence:151
Agility:110
Luck:127
Attack:345-387 Magic Attack:141-162 Physical Defense:190-212 Magical Defense:258-279
Magic Resistance
Fire:55% Water:33% Ice:66%
Earth:50% Dark:25% Holy:0%
Poison:28% Electricity:0% Wind:15%
Charm:90% Destruction:0% Void:4%
Buffs: None. Debuffs: None.
Skills/Abilities: Phantom Walk (Lv3), Hunter''s Evasion (Lv2), Shadowy Disguise (Lv3), Nightblade (Lv4).
"Wow, even though they just fought and killed a wyvern, their status'' barely changed." Shiva thought as she deactivated God''s View before thinking of another thing. "I wonder how many slimes and goblins it would take for them to just go up one level?" Slimes and goblins in the past were starting level creatures for most of the worlds she had been a Goddess of so she couldn''t help but wonder how many of them they would need to kill in order to level up once. As she thought about this, the Captain of the Town''s Guard approached her.He wore the standard guard uniform, which was a steel cuirass with vambraces, and greaves that were colored grey, and he wore dark blue padded clothing underneath it. He also had on a helmet. Accompanying the Captain was the mayor of the town, who was an old man that looked like he was in his late forties to early fifties. He wore simple clothing and had a somewhat round build with a bushy white beard. "Excuse me," The mayor started in a polite and respectful voice that pulled the Goddess out of her thoughts. "but are you the Goddess'', Brave Saint?" At this, Shiva smiled, for she had understood who he was referring to completely. He was asking if she was Zaleria''s representative. Zaleria was the one and only Goddess to have saved Atlas, so out of respect for her, the Gods and Goddesses labeled themselves as her brave saints. Now, they didn''t have to do this, and if they truly wanted to, they could have simply used their godly powers to alter everyone''s memories of who and what their God looked like, but because she, like stated earlier, was the only one to have cleared the SS-world Atlas, they didn''t. "Yes, I am." She told him while maintaining her smile. The mayor of the town cheerfully smiled upon hearing those three words from her, and said with an abundant amount of joy. "Thank you for killing that beast! Had you all not been here, I''m sure that monster and demon would have killed us all and burned our town down to the ground just for the fun of it." "It''s nothing," Shiva assured him as her smile got a little bit bigger while Angel whispered something to Simon before approaching the carcass of the wyvern. "we were just simply doing our duty." "Oh please, you did more than just your duty!" The mayor declared as Simon followed Angel. "You saved not only our lives, but you also managed to prevent the majority of our town from being destroyed!" At this, Shiva felt a sense of pride grow within her. She had originally feared for the heroes'' success, but after hearing the man praise them for their deeds, she just couldn''t help from being a little proud of them. Of course, she also couldn''t help from hoping that this encounter would change their behavior/personalities, but she knew the odds of that happening were nonexistent. Meanwhile, as this was going on with her, Angel said to Simon while looking at the deceased wyvern. "So, what are the odds we could make some armor out of this thing''s hide?" "Technically they''re scales," Simon pointed out. "and to be honest, I have no idea. I''ve never done this before." "I see," Was Angel''s response before he unsheathed his broadsword and said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Well, when unsure what to do just start cutting." However, before Angel was able to start chopping up the wyvern, one of the townsmen said with shock and concern in his voice. "Wait, what are you doing!?" Shooting the man a look, Angel answered his question. "What does it look like I''m about to do? I''m gonna start chopping this thing up." "Why? It''s dead isn''t it?" The man asked with a confused expression. He was a short, bald, round man with an egg-shaped head that wore a very long v-neck that revealed his black untrimmed chest hair. He wore brown pants, and the vibe he radiated was one of a merchant. "Yeah, but how else am I going to get some loot from this, bitch?" Angel questioned him as his lips curved slightly downwards into that of a frown. He had no idea if they acquired loot on kill or if they had to loot the deceased being, but he assumed it was the latter. After all, he didn''t get a notification like how he would in a game saying that he had acquired x thing, so he was certain he had to harvest the wyvern''s dead body for its shit. Feeling like a lot of precious materials would go to waste, the round man said to him with a small grin of his. "How about you let me and my company harvest it, and in return, we craft you some high-quality things for free?" Angel said nothing at first, and contemplated the offer for several seconds. It sounded good, but because he had played a lot of RPGs, he learned that merchants can be pretty despicable. "Alright, I''ll let you harvest the corpse for its materials, but I want something right now." Angel declared with a serious look in his eyes. "I don''t know who you are, and for all I know, you could just be saying that to get the rights to harvest this thing, so I want some stuff." At this, the man frowned a little. He wasn''t expecting the hero before him to say something like this, and had expected him to just give him the rights, but it seemed he was smarter than he looked. With a reluctant sigh, the merchant said, "Very well, is there a specific thing you want?" "500 gold." He answered bluntly which caused the round man to actually choke on his spit and do a spit take. "5-500 gold!?" The round man exclaimed. "You want 500 gold for the carcass!? That''s unreasonable!" "What do you mean? It''s a wyvern, a wyvern." Angel pointed out, not understanding why it was quote-unquote unreasonable. "Yes, but it''s not like it''s in perfect condition," The man said in response in a somewhat hesitant manner. "Like the entire left side of it is filled with cuts and lacerations, so the chances of getting some good scales from it are very low." "Sounds like a personal problem." Angel rebutted in an indifferent tone. "Either you buy it or I just start cutting it up right now." At this, the merchant said nothing and bit the inner side of his mouth. He knew that he could still make a decent amount of money if he bought it, for it was a wyvern but five hundred gold was just a little too much in his mind. "400 gold." The merchant offered. "430, and it''s a deal." Angel rebutted in a neutral tone with a look in his eyes that said he wasn''t going to go any lower than that. "Fine, 430." The Merchant agreed.
To Be Continued... Chapter V: Beginning The Journey. Chapter V: Beginning The Journey.
After spending the remainder of the day eating and celebrating with the townspeople, the Hero Party departed from the town. They stayed the night, and didn''t bring a lot of stuff with them since the Goddess claimed that if they get injured or poisoned, she''ll heal them, but neither did they bring too little. Instead, they bought just the right amount of healing potions, mana potions, provisions, whetstones, equipment repairs, and more, which were all going to be stored in the Goddess'' room inside the God''s realm, at least that was the plan. However, that didn''t happen at all. Instead, they were left with two choices, and those were to either buy a horse, and have it be their pack mule and carry their stuff or to carry it themselves, for the Goddess wasn''t going to let them store their gear and whatnot in her room. In the end, they chose the former over the latter, albeit, they had done so with great reluctance. "So, where exactly are we going again?" Evan asked as he and the others followed behind the Goddess who was leading them. He had a bit of drowsiness in his voice, but that was because he didn''t get much sleep last night. As for why he didn''t get much sleep, it was because he was someone who wouldn''t fall asleep until the middle of the night, so he was only able to get about five hours of sleep before being awoken by the Goddess. "We''re going to the City of Haven," Shiva answered without looking back at him. "the wyvern came from its direction, so we''re going to see if it attacked it or if it just flew by it." "Right, and why exactly are we walking there when you can just teleport us there?" Angel asked upon hearing this information. "Because if I teleport us there, you''ll miss out on tons of experience." She revealed in a serious but slightly annoyed tone. "Not to mention, there are two villages between the Town of Wintervale and the City of Haven, so we have to check them out as well." "I see." Was what Angel said in response, while Evan frowned. "What''s up with you, Angel?" Brendan questioned with curiosity in his voice. He was the one holding onto the reins of the horse, and leading it. "Are you still mad about having to buy the horse?" "I''m mad about a lot of things, Brendan," Angel confessed in a tired like manner. "Like what?" Baun asked with curiosity in his voice. "Oh, like how I had to buy the healing potions, the mana potions, and pretty much everything else, including the dumb horse." He listed off while hitting his left fingers with his right index finger. "Well, I mean," Brendan started in a slightly hesitant manner. "you did kind of sell the wyvern without anyone else''s approval, so it''s a little fitting you pay for the things we need." "He''s not wrong." Simon agreed with his classic nervous chuckle. "Yeah, and unlike me, you didn''t get punched in the face for doing that." Evan added in a curt/sarcastic tone. "Listen, listen, I was the one that dealt the final blow, so it''s only fitting that I get to decide what to do with its body." Angel declared in a voice that was witty and prideful. "Bullshit, you didn''t deal the final blow." Buan denied instantly, while Brendan asked him in a completely taken back manner. "What do you mean you were the one who did the final blow?" Meanwhile, as they started to argue about who was the one that did the killing blow, Shiva felt a chill go down her spine that made her avert her gaze to the Southwest.
Standing in the center of the ruins of a throne room that had human corpses littered everywhere, both armored and unarmored, were dozens of demons cladded in full suits of black bulky armor with crimson red capes. Behind and on the sides of the demons were several large monstrous creatures that had black plated gear on them, and in front of them was an elderly human that wore royal clothing and a female demon. The female demon, who was currently sitting in the half-destroyed throne, had a prideful smirk on her face as she looked down on the human male who was kneeling before her. The attire she wore was similar to the demons before her and consisted of black fitted body armor and a cape that was gold in color. She looked like she was in her mid-twenties, and had eyes that were slitted and fiery orange with hair that was black as the night. She didn''t have any horns on the top of her head, but that didn''t change who she was. She was, the Incarnation of Pride, and the Demon King''s first-born, Venelana Lustfall. "You know, when I was a little girl, my father told me a tale about this kingdom." Venelana started in a neutral tone. "He told me that this was the vanguard of humanity, and that people who defend it are strong, very strong; in fact, he claimed that this kingdom of yours housed the strongest of humanity, but for some reason, I feel as if he lied to me." The elderly man said nothing in response to this information, and just simply gritted his teeth. "What about you?" She asked while maintaining her smirk. "What do you think? Do you think he spoke the truth, or do you think he was lying?" "... me." Was what the elderly man muttered in the lowest of voices. "What was that?" She asked him in a haughty tone. "I couldn''t quite hear you, so you''re gonna have to speak up a little, Your Majesty." "I said, kill me." He told her as he lifted his head and glared at her. "Kill you?" She repeated in a voice that was filled with shock and horror before clicking her tongue in disappointment and shaking her head vehemently. "Killing you is out of the question, for I have need of you." At this, the old king said nothing, and continued to glare at her. "What?" She asked as her smirk got a little bit bigger and viler. "You''re not gonna ask me what I have in store for you? That''s a little rude don''t you think?" The elderly man remained silent. Seeing as he wasn''t going to say anything, Venelana let out a sigh, and said aloud in a disinterested manner. "Someone beat him until he can no longer look at me like that, I''ve grown tired of him staring at me like that." At this, one of her knights that was standing at the front and center of the formation stepped forward while unbuckling his sword from his waist. He then began to hit the old king with his sword, which lasted for several minutes, before being told to stop by Venelana. "Now, ask me." Venelana ordered in a serious tone with a serious expression. "Wh-What...do you...have planned...for me?" He asked in between breaths while holding onto his right arm that had been broken. His voice was painfilled. With her lips curving a little upwards into that of a smile, Venelana spoke. "It''s simple really, I''m going to have you be my messenger. You will notify all the other kingdoms what has happened here and that if they don''t want their kingdom to be destroyed then to surrender, otherwise they will suffer the same fate as yours." "Do you," he started with a low chuckle while doing his best to ignore the pain he was feeling. "Do you really think that''ll actually happen?" "Honestly speaking? No, I don''t think your fellow kingdoms will surrender." She answered truthfully. "However, I could care less if they do or don''t, for all they would be is cattle and slaves, nothing more, nothing less."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. At this, the elderly man clenched his teeth once more before saying. "You''re gonna pay for what you did here. When people learn what has happened here, you''re gonna pay." Venelana laughed at the man''s words and said with amusement in her voice. "Oh, and who''s going to make me pay? Your Goddess'' heroes? I don''t know if you know this, but my father sent my siblings, as well as some of his finest soldiers, to deal with them, so they''re probably dead by now." "I don''t know who, but what I do know is that you''ll pay for all of this, trust me." The elderly man told her which caused her smirk to vanish. "Escort, His Majesty, out of here, for I have no more business with him. He''s tainting my good mood." She ordered after silently staring at him for several seconds. Not long after demanding the removal of the king did a demon cladded in a full suit of armor enter the room with someone she wasn''t expecting to see at all. The pauldrons the demon wore were reinforced with an extra plate with red straps lined underneath to the neck. His elbows had sharp edges, easy for poking someone''s eyes out, and the fingertips of his gloves were also sharpened for clawing. The leggings also had thicker plating from the shins down, and a dagger sat on his waist, glowing an ominous purple with the scent of death reeking the air around him. However, Venelana paid this man no attention, and instead said in a voice full of surprise. "Vanessa?" Indeed, the person who was accompanying her elite knight was none other than her younger sister, Vanessa Lustfall. "Hey, Venelana," Vanessa greeted in a somewhat meek manner. "I need to talk to you...in private." Venelana said nothing at first, and couldn''t help the feeling that the news she had for her was bad.
"I see, so you lost Bagon, and were only able to escape because one of them let you go?" Venelana said aloud with a slightly bothered expression while having her back face her younger sister. "Yes," Vanessa affirmed in a voice filled with shame and embarrassment. "I had underestimated them, and was so enraged by Evan''s deceit, I didn''t pay any attention to Bagon until it was too late." At this, Venelana let loose a troubled sigh before turning around and saying. "You know father will be most displeased when he hears about this, right?" "... I know." Vanessa confessed after several seconds of standing there and clenching her fists. "Well," Venelana started after staring at her sister for a few seconds. "I guess it won''t be that bad now that I think about it, for while you did fail in killing them, you also notified us of their location." "... He''ll still be upset with me though." Vanessa declared in an annoyed/agitated tone. "Probably, but you shouldn''t worry about that," Venelana told her with a small smile. "Father will forgive you once we bring him the heads of the heroes." With that said, Venelana turned around and began to walk away, but was stopped by Vanessa, who said to her. "Wait." Curious about what else her younger sister had to say, Venelana turned back around and hummed inquisitively. "The hero who is known as Evan, I want him," Vanessa revealed, her cheeks a tinge of red as she said this. "What exactly do you mean by ''want him''?" Venelana questioned with a serious expression. "I mean I want him alive," Vanessa stated. "He was the one that humiliated me, and I promised him that I would make him pay for that humiliation. I want him as my slave so that he can see what happens to humanity and those that go against us.." At this, Venelana hummed before saying, "Is that so?" "Yes," Vanessa confirmed. "... I will give you the chance to try capturing him, but understand that if I have to, I will kill him." Venelana told her in a grim tone. "I understand," Vanessa claimed with a small nod of her head. "All I was asking for was a chance to fulfill my promise."
After a day and a half of traveling, and fighting dozens upon dozens of creatures that were a lot more formidable than any of the heroes expected, the heroes arrived at the village known as Imperius. It was a small village that was about one-third the size of Wintervale. It had wooden walls surrounding it, and was home to about one hundred and thirty people with a small garrison to defend it. At least, that''s what Shiva claimed. "Well," Angel started as they approached the village''s northern gate that had two armed men standing outside of it. "Unless I''m seeing an illusion or something, it appears this place is still intact." "Yep," Simon agreed, "but if we''re seeing an illusion, then that means someone is here and waiting for us, right?" He then added in what sounded like a serious tone. "Yes, but what are the chances of something like that actually happening?" Brendan questioned with curiosity in his voice. "I don''t know," Simon answered with a shrug as one of the armed men yelled at them while holding out his right hand. "Stop!" He wore what one would expect a guardsman of a village to wear, and wielded a pike. Upon them coming to a complete stop a few meters away from the gate, the two guards approached them. ¡°Who are you, and what business do you have here?¡± The one wielding a pike asked as they closed what little distance there was between them. ¡°I am the Goddess¡¯ Brave Saint, Shiva, and the people you see behind me are the Goddess¡¯ chosen, her heroes.¡± Shiva declared in a serious tone with only a tinge of pride in her voice. At this, the two guards gave each other inquisitive looks before looking back at her and saying. ¡°Do you have any proof?¡± A little taken aback by their question, Shiva said to them with traces of shock in her voice. ¡°Proof? Are you saying you don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°Well, when you dress like a thot, can you really blame them?¡± Angel muttered in the lowest of tones that made those around him snicker. Meanwhile, Shiva¡¯s expression became an annoyed one as she fended off the urge of glaring at him. She had no idea what a ¡®thot¡¯ was, but because those around her were doing their best not to laugh, and trying to stifle their snickers, she assumed it was bad. More curious about what was so funny, the other guardsman, a man who wielded a sword and shield, said to them. ¡°Mind telling me what¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Shiva assured before any of the heroes had a chance to utter a single word, which had caused him to shift his attention back towards her. ¡°Now are you going to let us in or not?¡± Glancing at his comrade, the pike wielding guardsman contemplated the question for several seconds before answering. ¡°Well, even if you are the Goddess¡¯ heroes, you have yet to answer my question of what brings you here.¡± Feeling like he was still doubting her, Shiva had her status window appear before her and in front of the guardsman. The guardsman said nothing at first, and simply looked at the status window. ¡°Huh, so you truly are the Goddess¡¯ Brave Saint.¡± He thought aloud as he looked up at her. ¡°Yes, and as I said before, the ones behind me are the Goddess¡¯ heroes.¡± Shiva sternly declared. ¡°So, may we enter now?¡± She then asked. ¡°Of course,¡± The guard told her with a nod of his head. ¡°However, I must warn you even if you all are the Goddess¡¯ chosen, that does not mean you are above the law. Should we catch you breaking the law, you will be arrested.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Shiva replied with a small nod of her head.
Upon entering the village, Evan asked Shiva in a somewhat inquisitive manner. ¡°So, now that we know this place was not burned to the ground by the wyvern, and it¡¯s not an illusion, what¡¯s the plan? Are we just gonna stay the night and move on, or are we going to stay a few days and try helping the people here out?¡± ¡°Do the people here even need help?¡± Angel questioned, traces of curiosity in his voice. ¡°Because if we¡¯re being honest here, I really doubt they do.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that, Angel?¡± Brendan inquired with a curious expression. ¡°Well, for one, this place doesn¡¯t give off that feeling at all,¡± Angel claimed in a slightly serious tone. ¡°If it was in need of help, then don¡¯t you think the people here would be all depressed and shit?¡± ¡°Mmm, fair point.¡± Brendan agreed after a little thought. ¡°We could just stay the night but¡­¡± Shiva told them before trailing off. ¡°But?¡± They all asked almost simultaneously in an inquisitive manner. ¡°But, I think it would be best if we stayed a couple of days and tried to help the people here out.¡± She finished before adding. ¡°I¡¯m sure there is a monster of some sorts causing them problems.¡± At this, two of the five heroes gave her a dubious look, specifically Angel and Evan. ¡°What? Why are you all looking at me like that?¡± Shiva questioned, concern written in her voice. ¡°No reason.¡± Evan and Angel answered in almost perfect synchronization as Evan rubbed his nose with his left palm. Not believing them for a second, Shiva said while crossing her arms underneath her bust. ¡°Do you really expect me to believe that? Especially when you say it like that?¡± The manner they had spoken in was too quick, which was she didn¡¯t believe them in the slightest. However, to her shock, it seemed they truly believed that would sate her curiosity, for they had said almost immediately along with Simon, who for some reason, voiced his thoughts as well. ¡°Yes.¡± Not wanting to, or even in the mood to argue with them, Shiva said in a slightly tired voice. ¡°Can you two just tell me why you both were looking at me like that? ¡°Look, it honestly wasn¡¯t a big deal, so can we just go speak with the guy that¡¯s in charge of this village?¡± Evan asked her in a tone that was slightly annoyed. ¡°Agreed, because if I¡¯m being honest here, I think they were just doing that to get on your nerves,¡± Baun added in hopes she would drop the subject. ¡°Yeah, I agree,¡± Brendan told her, with a hint of seriousness in his voice. ¡°They¡¯re probably just trying to get under your skin.¡± ¡°Wow, okay guys, way to be cunts and make me sound like an asshole.¡± Angel declared in a sarcastic attitude. ¡°Wow, okay Angel, way to not include me and be a cunt yourself,¡± Evan claimed with a devilish smirk that gained Angel¡¯s attention. "Yeah, well. get good." Angel told him in an indifferent tone and with a shrug of his shoulders. "Yeah, well, fuck you." Was Evan''s response which led to a battle of petty remarks to see who could out petty who.
To Be Continued... Chapter VI: Spending Time At The Village Known As Imperius. Chapter VI: Spending Time At The Village Known As Imperius.
After speaking with the leader of the village, the Hero Party exited the leader''s longhouse. They had spent a good thirty to forty-five minutes speaking to them, and were told many things about how they could help. "So, Ms. Shiva," Spoke Evan as he began to take off his left hand''s gauntlet so that he could scratch his eye that had an itchy feeling. "Now that we know there aren''t really any monsters terrorizing this town like you thought there would be, what''s the plan?" "Well, first off, if you''re going to address me in a formal manner, then at least do it properly, Evan," Shiva told him while casting him a side glance. "But calling you, Lady Shiva, would imply you''re a lady, and there''s nothing about you that''s ladylike." Angel declared with the straightest of faces that she didn''t like at all. "Oof, that was a little rude," Baun stated in a slightly taken back manner. He knew Angel could be pretty savage, but that comment right there was a little too savage in his mind. Ignoring Angel''s rude/hurtful comment, Shiva answered Evan''s question. Although, it was worth mentioning that as she did so, she had a tick mark on her forehead. "I think it would be bad for us if we just moved on, especially after hearing the problems the chieftain would like help with, so I think we''re going to stay one or two days and help the villagers out." "You''re making it sound like we have a choice in the matter." Simon told her with his go-to nervous chuckle. "I know, right?" Angel said with a chuckle of his own. "She''s making it sound like if we wanted to, we could just move on, but we all know that''s not the case at all." "Well, like I said a few seconds ago, it would be bad if we just moved on." Shiva told them with a somewhat awkward chuckle. She wasn''t against the idea of moving onto the next village, for the tasks the chieftain was wanting help with were unfitting for heroes, but if they just moved on, then they might get seen as arrogant and egotistical, which was something she didn''t want to happen. It was already bad enough with how her heroes treated her, she didn''t need the people of this world doing it as well. "I mean, would it really be bad if we just moved on?" Angel thought aloud with curiosity in his voice as he scratched his chin. "Our job is to save the world and defeat the Demon King; not pick weeds and help these guys collect their firewood." "Oh, so now you''re all for saving the world?" Brendan asked with a sly smirk that could easily be mistaken as a smug one. "Listen, listen, right now I''m willing to save the world if it means not doing stupid stuff like picking weeds for some old hag." Angel proudly claimed with no traces of dishonesty in his voice, which earned himself one or two deadpanned expressions from those around him. "Anyways," Shiva began as she stopped giving Angel a blank expression. "I''m going to go to the inn and speak to the innkeeper about our lodging, so I leave the discussion about what jobs you want to do to yourselves, alright?" "Holy shit, you''re actually leaving something up to us?" Angel questioned with genuine shock in his voice and on his face. "... Yes?" Shiva confirmed with a puzzled expression and confusion in her voice. She didn''t understand what he meant by that in the slightest. "Wow, I''m surprised you''re doing that," Angel confessed with shock still written in his voice. "Why would you be surprised by something like that?" She asked him as her lips curved downwards a little into that of a frown. "Well, because so far it''s kind of been you calling the shots, so I kind of expected you to just tell us what to do, and that be the end of it." Angel reluctantly declared as he averted his gaze elsewhere and avoided eye contact. "... Would you prefer if I did that instead?" Shiva asked after several seconds of silently gazing at him. "No, not really," Angel claimed with a straight face as he shook his head. "Uh-huh." She hummed in response before looking at the others and saying. "Anyways, good luck with whatever jobs you do, and try not to cause problems while I''m acquiring our rooms, okay? I seriously don''t want to hear about how one of you ended up in jail an hour from now."
Once the Goddess was gone, the five heroes glanced at one another. "Well then," Evan started with traces of awkwardness in his voice. "Which jobs are you guys wanting to do?" "Oh, we''re actually going to do them?" Angel questioned in a surprised manner. "I kind of expected us to go dick around or something until it was dark out." "I mean, we could do that if we really wanted to." Evan reluctantly confessed. "But then we would be seen as even bigger assholes by the Goddess." Brendan pointed out. "And our reputation would go down as well." "Yeah, let''s avoid that." Baun declared in a serious tone with a serious expression decorating his face that none of them could really see due to his mood and cloth mask. "I could care less what you guys think of me because you guys are my friends, but I don''t want others to think I''m a piece of shit, when I''m in reality not." He added in the same firm tone.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "I''m sorry, but what was your personality again? Trash?" Angel asked, a tinge of amusement in his voice. "Hahaha, very funny," Baun stated in a sarcastic manner while glaring at Angel. "Anyways, so who''s going to take what job?" "Hmmm," Evan hummed as he placed his hand on his chin and scratched it. "Well, if I''m being perfectly honest here, then I think I''m going to go help, Mrs. Rona, with the whole weed situation since Angel was very adamant in not doing that." "I see we''re actually being serious about this," Angel said aloud before letting loose a sigh. "Alright then, I guess I''ll go talk to the blacksmith and get him his wood since he''s apparently in need of wood. I don''t know why he can''t get it himself or why he just doesn''t use coal, but it''s whatever." "And I guess I''ll go to the inn and see what they need done, since the guy said there was some work needed to be done at the inn." Brendan revealed. "And I''ll go with him and watch over the horse while waiting for a job to be given to me." Simon declared in his same old monotone voice that didn''t change in the slightest. "Huh, if you''re all doing that, then maybe I should go speak to the leader and see if he has any of those, you know, secret tasks." Baun stated in a voice that was a little low, but nowhere close enough to be considered a whisper. "Doubt it, but might as well give it a shot," Angel told him. "It''s either that, or you sit on your ass doing nothing."
As Evan walked up the stone pathway that led to Mrs. Rona''s front door, he let loose a sigh. It had been a few minutes since he and the others splitted off, and if he was being honest with himself, he wasn''t looking forward to picking weeds. Her house wasn''t big like the chieftain''s house, but neither was it tiny. It was a two-story house with a small wooden fence surrounding it with several flower beds inside the fenced area. "I can understand why she''d want some help with weeds since her home is practically surrounded by plants, but come on, shouldn''t there be some young boy or girl helping her out?" Is what Evan was thinking as he reached the final stone step. He didn''t understand how it could have gotten this bad, but after a few seconds of thinking, he recalled how his father was almost always working outside when he had free time removing weeds or something along those lines. Deciding it was best not to think anymore about how it, Evan released another sigh and knocked on the door. He then waited for Mrs. Rona to come, and as he did so, he looked at the plants and bushes that were only a couple feet away from the walls of the house. They weren''t that interesting, and fortunately, he did not have to wait long, for after a few seconds had passed the door opened slightly. "Yes, can I help you?" Was the question Evan was asked as he diverted his attention back towards the door. The voice was soft and gentle, and in no way sounded like a old woman''s voice. "Uh, yeah, I was told you needed some help with your garden?" Evan claimed as he looked at the crack between the door and the doorframe. He wasn''t able to see her facial features due to the cloak she was wearing, but he had a good feeling this person wasn''t an old lady at all. "I wouldn''t say I''m in need of help, I am capable of doing it myself, I just choose not to do it." She declared sternly which came off as defensive in Evan''s eyes. "Well, the chieftain of the village said you need help-" "Which isn''t true." She added. "-and because I got nothing else to do, and am in need of money, I decided to come see what''s up, and lend you a hand," Evan told her without a pause despite comment she made halfway through his explanation. "Okay, but who is going to pay you?" She asked in a slightly displeased manner. "I wasn''t the one who asked for aid, so tell me, who will be paying you for your labor?" "I don''t know," He answered in an indifferent tone with a shrug of his shoulders. "I guess the chieftain, but more importantly, why did you allow this to happen to your garden? You said you''re capable of doing it yourself, so why has it come to this?" "Is that something you need to know?" She asked in a defensive tone. "I mean, no not really," He admitted with some reluctance. "I was just curious as to why." "Well, I suggest you keep your curiosity in check, it''s a dangerous thing, and if you''re not careful, you could end up dead." She sternly declared. "... Uh, okay then, thanks for the advice, I''ll be sure to remember that." Evan stated after several seconds of silence. He wasn''t sure how he was supposed to take that information, but he supposed this was the best way. "You''re welcome," She told him as she started to close the door only to stop and say. "Oh, and if you want, you may clean up my garden, but don''t expect any payment from me or refreshments. I didn''t ask for your help, so don''t expect any help from me." "Noted." Evan affirmed, which resulted in the door being closed on him. Once it was shut completely, he let loose a sigh, and said aloud with a tiny trace of annoyance in his voice. "Well then, this is going to be a long day, but when is one never?"
As Brendan opened the door to the inn, which was probably the second largest building in the village right behind the chieftain''s longhouse, the noises he was hearing from the other side became louder and more comprehensible. However, upon stepping inside of the inn, he received several gazes and the sound he was hearing died out instantly. As for why this had happened, it was because the patrons and the workers of the inn were looking at him with concern. Unlike the majority of them, Brendan was armed and armored, which meant if he wanted to, he could easily rob them or kill them. Seeing their anxious looks, Brendan pulled his cowl back, allowing them to see his young, but slightly mature features, and said with a friendly smile. "Sorry for the disturbance, but can someone direct me to the owner of this establishment? I was told they had some jobs available, and I''m looking for some work." He had watched a lot of western movies before and had played a lot of roleplaying games growing up, so this type of scenario wasn''t strange to him in the slightest. "That would be me." A woman declared with a raised hand from behind the bar. She looked to be in her mid-thirties with brown hair and brown eyes. She was a little plump, and the clothing she wore was something one would expect a tavern girl to wear. Directing his attention to the woman, Brendan walked over to her as the activities inside the inn picked back up. "Good afternoon, ma''am." He greeted with a polite nod of his head. "I was told you have some work available?" "I do, but judging by your attire, I can already tell the work I have is something you would find beneath you." She told him in a stern tone. "Well, what is it?" Brendan asked with a small frown. "Emptying out the outhouse," She answered almost immediately. "My husband is tired of doing it, and wants somebody else to do it, so yeah, I''m pretty sure you get the rest of it." "Yeah, that''s not something I''d be interested in doing," Brendan confessed as his frown deepened before asking with curiosity in his voice. "Is there anything else you''d be willing to give me? I''m only going to be staying here for a couple of days, so I''m not looking for any permanent work. Just something I can do for a little bit of money." "I mean, I guess you could chop up some firewood, but besides that, I got nothing else for you." She told him with a troubled expression. "I can do that." He assured with a smile. "Just point me to the wood, and I''ll start chopping it up."
To Be Continued... Chapter VI: Spending Time At The Village Known As Imperius. (Part 2) Chapter VI: Spending Time At The Village Known As Imperius. (Part 2)
"Geez," Was what Shiva said out loud as she stepped out of the portal, a somewhat troubled expression decorating her face. "Twenty silver for three days at the inn? That world is truly an SS-world." In a B-ranked world, the most she had to pay to stay at an inn for three days, were three silver, unless of course, they were staying at a high ranking tavern, but that was beside the point; the point was that the price to stay at an inn in Atlas was unreasonable. "And this is just the first of many inns!" Shiva groaned in a loud but not so loud tone after realizing that the progress they have made wasn''t much progress at all. "We still have a long way to go before we''ve saved this world." Placing her hands on her face and pressing them against it, Shiva groaned once more. "This isn''t going to be fun at all; this is just going to be a long and tiresome journey." As she said this, there was a knock on her door, which was followed by a feminine voice saying in a hesitant manner. "L-Lady Shiva, are you back now?" Lowering her hands to where they weren''t covering her eyes, Shiva looked at the door, and answered after inhaling deeply. "Yes, I''m back." "R-Really? Is it alright if I come in?" Is what the person behind the door asked after a few seconds of her telling them that she was back. They then followed the question up with, "I have been needing to speak with you for a while now, but haven''t really gotten the chance to do so." "Of course," Shiva declared as she moved to the door and opened it. "I''m actually in the need of another Goddess'' company, so please come in." As she told the other Goddess this, Shiva was met by the sight of a very tall woman that she was a little familiar with. She was taller than the hero Evan, had long hair that was white as snow, eyes that were a dark ocean blue, breasts that were, without a doubt, larger than her head, and long legs with thick thighs that could easily crush somebody''s skull. The clothing she wore was a frilly blue dress, which was something one wouldn''t expect a woman of her stature to wear, and the expression she had was this cute/troubled one. "Wow," Shiva thought with awe upon seeing her. "I completely forgot that Historia was this tall." "Pa-Pardon the intrusion." She stammered as she entered the room with super flushed cheeks. "You''re all good, welcome to my room," Shiva assured after quickly snapping out of her awe state and closing the door behind her. "Th-Thanks," Was the response Historia gave her. She then began to look around the room, and after a couple of seconds of doing so, she sheepishly said, "You, I love your room''s designs." A little taken back by this comment, Shiva laughed before asking her, "You think so?" "Yes," Historia affirmed with a smile. "I especially love this dresser of yours, they''re very pretty." As Historia told her this, she had moved over to a four drawer dresser that went to her knees. "Oh, why thank you," Shiva claimed as a smile of her own formed while moving next to Historia. "I was originally uncertain about it because it didn''t match my room''s color at all, but because it and the rest of these were gifts from my first hero, I decided to change my room''s color." "Your first hero made you this?" Historia asked with a hint of surprise as she looked down at the shorter Goddess. "Yes," Shiva softly answered after looking up at her before looking back at the dresser, her eyes became one of fondness as she recalled him. "He wasn''t much of an outgoing person, but he was very passionate, especially when it came to wood. He would create the most beautiful things with what people would consider scraps." "Wow," Historia stated in awe as her eyes averted back to the wooden furniture before her. "He sounds like a wonderful person." "He was." Shiva asserted with a bit of firmness in her voice. "Anyways, you said you needed to talk to me about something?" "Yes, I um, I was wondering if you have any advice you could offer me?" Historia asked her as she twiddled her thumbs out of embarrassment. "Advice? Advice on what?" Shiva asked as her lips curved downwards into that of a frown. "... Dealing with heroes that have romantic feelings for you." Sherevealed after several seconds of silence. "Romantic feelings? Your hero has romantic feelings for you?" Shiva questioned as her expression changed to that of a surprise. Her voice was filled with awe and shock. "Yes," Historia affirmed as she continued to blush profusely. "He has been claiming it was love at first sight, and despite me telling him we can''t be together or do the things he wants, he continues to try flirting with me, so I was wondering if you had any advice on how to deal with a hero like this?" "Well," Shiva started as she recalled several heroes who tried to court her. "If I''m being honest, I just either ignored them completely, or gave them the harsh truth."Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "The, the harsh truth?" Historia repeated with confusion in her voice before asking. "What''s that?" At this, Shiva smiled and declared with all sorts of pride in her voice. "That I''m a Goddess and that they''re not worthy to lay with me. I also tell them that the feelings they have for me are lust, and nothing more." "Is, is that so?" Historia said out loud with a puzzled expression. "So the feelings he has for me are nothing but lust?" "That," Shiva started only to pause to think about it a little bit more. "Well, if I''m being honest here again, then I''m not sure. I haven''t met him yet, so I can''t tell you if he has genuine feelings or not." "I, I understand," Historia stated with a small nod of her head. "Thank you for the advice." "Don''t mention it." Shiva proclaimed with a wave of her hand to signify that it was indeed no big deal. "Anyways, would you mind hearing me out and giving me your thoughts on some matters I''m dealing with?" "S-Sure, but I''m not sure I''ll be much help." Historia declared with a bit of hesitance. "That''s fine," Shiva assured her with another wave of her hand. "I''m just wanting to talk to somebody about my heroes, and hear what they think of them." "O-Okay," Was all Historia replied with.
Upon arriving at the inn, Angel was met by the sight of Evan and Baun sitting on the porch talking to one another. They were no longer wearing their armor, and didn''t care if others heard them, for the tones they spoke in were loud. "You''re fucking dumb if you think asses are better than titties," Evan claimed with no sense of shame at all. "Like, if you truly think an ass is more appealing than a pair of tits, then you''re an actual idiot." "Look, Evan, I''m not saying they''re better, for I find them both appealing, but if I had to label myself one or the other, then I would label myself as an assman." Baun explained. "That doesn''t help your case, if anything, that''s you admitting that you find asses to be better." Evan stated in an annoyed tone with a frown. "Hey dipshits, what the fuck are you two doing out here?" Angel demanded in a slightly irritated voice as he approached two of them. "Isn''t it obvious?" Evan asked him as he glanced at Angel. "We''re talking about which is better, asses or tits." "Yeah because apparently thighs aren''t an option in this." Baun added with a mildly annoyed expression. "They aren''t." Evan sternly denied as he shifted his gaze back towards Baun. "Wanna know why? Because thigh fetishes are as rare as arm fetishes." "I''m sorry, what?" Baun questioned. He was completely taken aback by Evan''s declaration. "You heard me, they''re as rare as people with arm fetishes." Evan announced in a prideful voice. "... Anyways, how was your job?" Baun asked Angel after a good several seconds of silence as he looked back at him. He was no longer interested in the topic he and Evan were discussing. "Eh, as boring as you''d expect it to be." Angel stated with a shrug of his shoulders. He then asked in a slightly inquisitive manner. "So, where is dipshit and fatso?" "In the inn," Both Evan and Baun answered simultaneously as Evan jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I see, I see," Angel said aloud with a couple nods of his head. "And where''s Bitchtits Mcgee? Is she in the inn as well?" "Actually," Evan started as he looked at Baun. "We have no idea." Baun finished upon feeling his friend''s gaze land on him once more. At this Angel nodded, but after realizing what they had said, the look on his face changed to one of confusion. "Wait, what did you guys just say?" He questioned. "We have no idea where she is." Evan claimed with a straight face. "We asked the innkeeper, and she claimed she was in her room, but when we went to check she wasn''t there, and yeah." "Uh-huh," Was the response Angel gave them after hearing this information. "Why? Why do you care where she is?" Baun asked with curiosity in his voice. "Did you forget what she asked for before heading to the inn?" Angel asked them with a tiny frown. "She asked for my money, and now I want it back cause there is something I want to buy." "Oh, and what''s that?" Evan asked, traces of interest in his voice. "A battle scythe." He revealed with no hesitation whatsoever. "A battle scythe?" Baun repeated in a confused tone as his expression changed to one of confusion as well. "Yep," Angel practically boasted. "The blacksmith here has a battle scythe and I plan on buying it, so I need my money." "I''m sorry, but what the hell is a battle scythe?" Baun asked him, confusion still written in his voice. "Isn''t it obvious?" Angel questioned in response. "It''s a scythe designed for battle." "Uh-huh, well good luck on getting your money." Said Baun after a couple seconds of staring at him. "Yeah," Evan added before saying, "hopefully she didn''t just ditch us because if she did then us and this world is fucked, royally." "Don''t you mean, this world and us are fucked royally?" Baun asked Evan with a small grin. "I don''t know, and I don''t care," Evan answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "The point is, if she left us, then we''re doomed." "If she left us then I''m just going to start murdering people." Angel stated in a serious tone with a straight face that made it hard for Baun to tell if he was actually being serious or not. Wanting to know if he was serious or not, Baun asked in a slightly hesitant manner. "Are you being serious right now or..." "Oh yeah, I''m dead-ass serious," Angel affirmed. "If she left us with my money-" "Our money you mean." Evan remarked. "-then I''m seriously going to start murdering people." He finished while ignoring Evan''s comment. "I see, well, let''s hope it doesn''t come to that." Baun said aloud with a small chuckle.
As Shiva awoke from her slumber, she let out a groan and clutched her head."Ugh, that was not a good idea." She had three empty wine bottles on the table in front of her, and a glass that had been knocked over. It took her a second to process the bottles and glass, but after doing so, she became a little shocked. "I drank all of this?" She said aloud in a horrified tone as she placed her hands over her mouth. She couldn''t believe the fact that she had drunk all of this wine, and what made it worse, was that she had done in it in front of a lower-tier goddess. Feeling like her reputation now with Historia was ruined, Shiva buried her face in her hands and groaned as loudly and obnoxiously as possible. "Ugh, it''s all their fault, they were the ones that caused me to do this!" The people who she was referring to was none other than her heroes, and although she wasn''t able to remember everything that happened yesterday, she knew they were the cause of this. "If they didn''t treat me poorly, and rile me up whenever they could then I wouldn''t have ever come here." That was the logic she was using, however, she was unable to convince herself and ended up saying aloud. "Who am I trying to convince? I was in need of something like this long before I summoned them." Indeed, they weren''t the actual cause of her drinking yesterday, they were just a minor role in it. With that thought made clear, Shiva used a spell of hers to cleanse her of her hangover and got up to get a quick shower.
To Be Continued... Chapter VI: Spending Time At The Village Known As Imperius. (Part 3) Chapter VI: Spending Time At The Village Known As Imperius. (Part 3)
Upon returning to the inn, Shiva was met with the sight of a near-naked Evan that was doing push-ups, and Brendan who was laying on his bed reading a book. "..." No one said a word upon her arrival as the portal behind her evaporated into thin air, but looks were sent to one another. "... Um, what are you two doing in my room?" She finally asked, which was what broke the silence that had filled the room. "Your room?" Brendan questioned in a confused and taken aback manner as he looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Yes, I rented you guys a room and then I rented a room for myself." She stated with seriousness in her voice that caused the two males to shoot one another looks of concern. "Well," Evan started with a chuckle as he stood up, all of which had earned Shiva''s attention. "That''s not going to happen anymore, and before you say why, it''s because we figured you just abandoned us." "Abandoned you?" She repeated, confusion written in her voice. "Why did you guys think that?" "Well, I mean, you did kind of leave us without saying anything to us at all." Brendan pointed out with a bit of hesitance. "Yeah, but that doesn''t mean I abandoned you guys." She countered with the littlest of frowns. "Eh..." Evan dragged out the word as he shook his left hand in a so-so motion. "It kind of does." "No it doesn''t." She argued as she shot Evan an annoyed look. "Uh, I''m pretty sure what you did is the definition of abandon." Brendan reluctantly stated. "It basically is." Evan agreed while ignoring the look Shiva was sending him. "Well, I''m here now, so therefore I didn''t abandon you guys." Shiva declared, she no longer was interested in this topic, and just wanted them to leave her room. "Well that''s good to hear, but if you were expecting that to convince us in leaving the room, then you''re mistaken." Evan told her as he got up off of his knees. "The other room is already full, and there''s no way in hell I''m sleeping on the wooden floor." "Agreed." Brendan declared in a heartful manner as he nodded his head. At this, Shiva said something neither of them were expecting her to say, which was, "Why?" "Why?" They both repeated in slightly hysterical voices. "Are you seriously asking us that?" Brendan then asked with a look of pure disbelief. "Yes, I am." She stated in a matter of fact tone. " You both have slept on the ground before, so I don''t see why it''s a problem if you slept on the flooring." "Well, for one it''s because the ground doesn''t someone''s semen on it, and number two, that''s because we had bedrolls to lay in." Evan explained in a defensive tone. "Also, why the fuck would we leave? This room has two beds, so why not just share one." "For privacy?" She asked him as if the answer was obvious. "... Yeah, no." Evan stated after blankly staring at her for a decent length. "If you want privacy then go back to the God''s Realm and sleep there. Otherwise, you''re not going to get any here." "Wow, okay then, what little regrets I have for messing with you two right now is now gone." She declared in a prideful voice. "Okay." Was Evan''s response. "Alright then." Was Brendan''s reply. Both had spoken in indifferent tones, which made it clear that neither of them cared if she was being serious or not about this. "Anyways, do I at least get a bed of my own?" She asked them after a couple of seconds. "Depends, what do you mean by bed of your own?" Evan asked her in an inquisitive manner. "One that doesn''t have to be shared with another person." She revealed.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. "Nope." Evan answered quickly without even a second of hesitating. "I''m a big guy, and I tend to move around a lot when I sleep, so I need my own bed. You can share with Brendan though if you want; I''m sure he wouldn''t mind." Sensing the seriousness in his voice, Shiva let out a small sigh and mumbled to herself. "Why is it when I try to mess with them and act like them I still end up getting a little peeved?" As Evan moved to lay down, Brendan remembered something and said out loud; "Oh," before gazing at Shiva once more and saying, "Angel told me to tell you if I ever see you again that what happens at the blacksmith''s place tomorrow is not his fault." Confused by this information, Shiva glanced at Brendan and gave him a puzzled look. "What''s that suppose to mean?" She asked him. "It means, he''s putting the blame on you." Evan stated as he put his hands behind his head. "Why?" She questioned, still not understanding what they meant at all. "It means Angel is going to murder the blacksmith for his scythe if the guy doesn''t give him it because he has no money to pay for it." Evan revealed in an indifferent voice as he stared up at the ceiling. "And you guys are just going to let him do this!?!" Shiva asked, completely horrified by how casual they were acting. "No," Brendan answered without a second of hesitation. "Me, Baun, and Evan do plan on stopping him, but it would be better if you just gave him the money. He really wants the scythe, and is willing to trade all three of his swords for it." "I see..." Is all Shiva answered with great reluctance. She had already started to wonder what makes Angel a hero, for he was the most morally questionable person out of the five, but after hearing this from the two of them; she was now really starting to wonder what exactly makes Angel a hero.
As the people of Imperius begun their work, Simon made his way downstairs and to the tavern of the inn. He had a strange dream, and had been tempted to wake Angel and tell him all about it, but decided not to due to the fact Angel wouldn''t care and end up ridiculing him. Of course, he knew the remarks Angel would have made wouldn''t be anything serious, and would be done out of crankiness, but he''d rather not deal with that. Upon arriving at the bar, Simon found several patrons both armored and unarmored and a person he didn''t expect to see at all, at least at this hour, speaking with one of the serving girls. "Yeah, so we had to kill it, which was a little unfortunate for I found it to be a majestic creature, but what can you do?" Evan explained with a hint of sadness in his voice and a shrug of his shoulders at the end there. "Wow, that''s very impressive, but don''t you think it would have been better to kill that demoness?" The serving girl questioned in a slightly hesitant manner as Simon approached the two of them. "Mmm, probably..." Evan confessed, a trace of reluctance and embarrassment in his voice. "But at the time, I believed her telling the tale of what had happened was the best course of action." As the girl was about to give him her response, she noticed Simon approaching them out of her peripheral. "Anyways," She started as she fixed her gaze on Evan and gave him a smile. "I should probably get back to work before I get yelled at. It was nice listening to your tale, Sir Evan, and I''ll be sure to give you your meal once it''s ready." "Thank you, and I''m glad you enjoyed the story," Evan claimed while offering her a smile of his own. With that said, the girl walked off, and not very long after she did, did Simon finish approaching Evan who had let out a blissful sigh. "Well that''s interesting," Simon declared, which had earned Evan''s attention. "What is?" Evan questioned after turning his body so he could look at his friend. "Nothing." Was the response Simon gave him, which made Evan frown a little. "I see..." Evan declared after a couple of seconds, he wasn''t sure what Simon had found to be interesting, but he had a good feeling it was nothing important. "... So, is it alright if I sit down?" Simon asked after what felt like an eternity of awkward silence. "Of course," Evan affirmed before gesturing to the seat across from him. "It would be weird if you just stood behind me, so by all means, sit down." "Thank you," Said Simon before moving to take his seat. As he did this, Evan turned his body once more, and said in a slightly curious voice. "So, are the others up and about or no?" "I don''t know," Simon answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Angel didn''t look like he was up, and I didn''t even bother checking on Baun." "I see, well, points for honesty I guess..." Evan said in response with traces of uncertainty in his voice. "Yeah, and I''m guessing Brendan isn''t up either?" Simon asked in return; he had a trace of curiosity in his voice as well. "Uh, I''m not sure to be honest," Evan confessed after giving his question some thought. "He didn''t really answer me when I asked him if he was up, but then again, I didn''t say it in a very loud voice either, nor did I really care if he was up or not." "I see, I see; practical Evan not caring for anybody else, nice, nice," Simon stated with a few nods of his heads. "I mean, I needed to use the restroom badly, so I didn''t exactly have the time to sit around waiting for him to respond. I had more urgent matters to attend to than waking him up." Evan explained in a somewhat defensive manner. "Alright then." Was Simon''s reply to this information which happened to be a little infuriating due to how disinterested he sounded. "Anyways, so the Goddess came back last night." Evan started after a couple seconds of silence. At this, Simon''s eyes filled with curiosity and he couldn''t help but ask. "Really?" "Yep," Evan answered with a small nod of his head. "She had apparently ordered two rooms with the intention of keeping one for herself and herself alone, but after finding me and Brendan there she went back to her room in the God''s Realm." "Nice," Spoke Simon with a bit of approval in his voice. "But question?" "Yeah?" Evan replied with wonder in his voice. "Did you get Angel''s money from her?" He asked, his tone had changed slightly to a more serious one. "Of course, how else would I be paying for my meal?" Evan rebutted with a smirk. "I don''t know, your body?" Simon said with a shrug of his shoulders that made Evan''s grin vanish instantaneously. "... Very funny."
To Be Continued... Chapter VII: The Heirs Meeting. Chapter VII: The Heirs'' Meeting.
As Venelana watched her younger sister pace back and forth with a grim expression written on her face, she released a sigh. "You know, pacing back and forth isn''t going to make time go faster, Vanessa." she started with a hint of indifference and boredom in her voice. "If anything, it''s going to make it feel like time is traveling slower." "I know," Vanessa claimed as she continued to tread back and forth. She didn''t break her stride at all. "If you know, then why are you still doing it?" Venelana questioned with only a tiny trace of curiosity in her voice. "Because it''s just something I do when I''m waiting," Vanessa answered as she continued to walk back and forth. "Plus, it helps me think." "Uh-huh," Was Venelana''s response with the smallest of frowns while nodding her head slowly. She had never really seen her sister do this before, but after giving it some thought, Venelana was also unable to recall her sister ever waiting on somebody or something. "Anyways, what are you thinking about?" Venelana inquired, curiosity latched to her voice. "How I''m going to make that man pay for the humiliation I suffered," Vanessa revealed without breaking her pacing. "Really? That''s it?" Venelana skeptically asked with an eyebrow raised. At this, Vanessa finally ceased her walking and looked at her older sister. "Yes." She affirmed with a nod of her head, and a grave look in her eyes. "Hmph," Venelana huffed as a smirk manifested on her face. "Sorry if that upset you, I just had a hard time believing that is it." Curious as to why she was, Vanessa said. "And why''s that?" "Reasons," Venelana shared as she stretched her arms out above her head before putting them behind it. Vanessa began to glare at her sister after this revelation. She didn''t like it when people kept information away from her, but what annoyed her more was when her siblings would do it, especially Venelana. She admired her sister, but there were a handful of things she didn''t like about her, and this was one of them. "... What kind of reasons?" She asked after a few seconds of glaring. "Ones that aren''t worth mentioning," Venelanadeclaredwith an amused look that was similar to a cat''s when it plays with its food. Doubting her sister''s honesty, Vanessa said in a stern tone. "Venelana..." "What?" Venelana questioned with only a hint of seriousness in her voice as she continued to look entertained. Vanessa opened her mouth to respond, and had planned on telling her she didn''t like it when she did these things with her, but as soon as she opened her mouth did the doors to the room open and Venelana''s Elite Knight come marching in. He wasn''t alone, and accompanying him were a dozen and half Black Knights as well as what a stranger could only assume to be their siblings. "Vanessa, Venelana, it''s so great to see you both; I have missed you two terribly!" The largest of the five that were being escorted declaredas he picked up his pace somewhat significantly. He stood at a staggering height of six feet and nine inches and wore a bulky suit of armor that was black as the night. He also wore a cape like the knights surrounding him except his was a regalia purple, and on his back was a great hammer, a weapon very similar to that of a warhammer, but with a head twice the size of one. He had horns identical to that of a bull, and multiple scars on his face; his eyes were slitted like his siblings with his irises being red, and his hair was white as snow. He was, the Incarnation of Wrath, and the fourth oldest out of the seven, Azog Lustfall. Upon hearing those words, Venelana smiled and said as she moved towards him. "Azog, it''s good to see you as well. I have also missed you a great deal." After that was stated, the two siblings embraced one another with a hug, and as they did so, Vanessa stared at the only other woman in the room besides herself, and her sister Venelana. She was an impeccable beauty, who had long lustrous black hair and a face that rivaled Vanessa''s. Her eyes were yellow and vertically split, and on the left and right side of her temple were two thick horns protruding crookedly. She, like the majority of her siblings, was wearing a full suit of plated black armor, and in her left hand was a black helmet designed specifically for her. She had a pair of angel wings on her back that had been armored, and resting against her thighs were double-bladed axes. As for who she was, she was none other than Vanessa''s twin, Valerie Lustfall the Incarnation of Envy, and the third in line to inherit the throne. Vanessa''s looking didn''t go unnoticed by Valerie, for not long after she started staring, did Valerie''s gaze shift from the two embracing siblings to Vanessa. "Vanessa." Valerie greeted as she lowered her head in acknowledgment while a smirk manifested on her face.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "Valerie." Vanessa greeted back with a nod of her own. "I was told on my way here you lost Bagon; is this true?" Valerie questioned, her voice filled with curiosity and amusement. "... It is." Vanessa confessed after several seconds of silently staring at her sister, which caused Valerie''s smirk to widen. "Hmph, unfortunate, but then again, you never did deserve him." Valerie stated in a egotistical manner while maintaining her smile. Vanessa clenched her fists at this, and was going to retaliate, but before she could her youngest brother, Azha Lustfall, the Incarnation of Sloth, spoke. "Can you two please not do this?" He requested in a tired voice with a somewhat annoyed expression. "It hasn''t even been a minute since we''ve reunited, and I didn''t come here to hear your squabbling and bickering." He was a man that slightly towered his sisters, but was shorter than his brother Azog by several inches. His irises were amethyst and like his siblings were split vertically. He also had two somewhat small horns on top of his head like the majority of his siblings, but unlike them, both of his horns were encased in metal. As for his hair, it was short and more along the lines of grey and ash than silver. His nearly identical twin brother, Azah Lustfall, the Incarnation of Greed, disagreed with his request, and said with a chuckle. "Oh come now, Azha. Surely you have come to miss our older sisters squabbling?" "I haven''t," Azha answered in the same tired like manner. "In fact, I have been dreading this little reunion, for I know the peaceful days I have found are now at an end." At this, both Azah and their older brother Azod, the Incarnation of Gluttony, laughed heartily. Azod was the Demon King''s second son and fifth spawn, and was a few inches shorter than his older brother, Azog. He was also a little bit wider than him, and didn''t wear any sort of armor to protect his arms like he did. Instead, he left them exposed which allowed people to see the scars and markings. He had a single horn on top of his head, and had somewhat long hair that was braided and black. On his back were two very wide greatswords that had engravings going down the blades. Seeing her brothers laugh at her, Vanessa turned her gaze towards them and said with a stern look in her eyes. "Are our problems with one another really that amusing to the two of you?" "Yes," Azah answered vigorously, which earned an amused snort from the oldest of the brothers, who had ceased hugging Venelana, and a chuckle from Azod. Meanwhile, both Vanessa and Valerie scowled. "This is why you''ll never be Father''s successor." Valerie proclaimed in a slightly vexed tone. "Okay?" Azah questioned with uncertainty in his voice and a puzzled expression. "I fail to see how me finding your bickering to be amusing makes me unable to be Father''s successor, but whatever." "Enough," Venelana ordered in a stern tone that gained all of her siblings'' attention. She didn''t say anything after that for a couple seconds and instead allowed some silence to fill the room. Once several seconds of silence and staring at them passed, she spoke. "I did not call you all here to watch petty arguments and whatnot; if I wanted that, then I would go back to the kingdom and listen to the nobles. However, in the end, I didn''t, so stop being petty with one another." None of her siblings retaliated, rather than doing that, the majority of them, the ones who were fighting with one another, chose to avoid eye contact with their oldest sibling and look at the ground. After that statement was said, Venelana paused for a quick second to allow that information to sink in before resuming. "Now, as for why I had my familiars go and get you all, it''s because our sister Vanessa has located the Goddess'' Champions. Unfortunately though, she underestimated them and in the end lost her mount, Bagon like Valerie said." At this, Azog spoke and in his voice was anger and rage. "They''ll pay for that. I will make sure they pay dearly for killing Bagon." Vanessa smiled a little upon hearing her brother''s words, and said as she grabbed ahold of one of his trembling hands. "Thank you, Azog. It brings me comfort knowing you cared about him as much as I do." "Yes, we are all very sad to hear about your loss." Valerie declared with a yawn as well as a roll of her eyes before turning her gaze back towards her older sister. "We are." Venelana claimed before anyone else could say something. "Bagon may not have been the strongest of his kind, but he was the fastest and loyal." Valerie said nothing at this, instead, she just crossed out her arms and let out a huff of air. Meanwhile, Vanessa smiled and mouthed the words, ''Thank you.'' to her older sister. Acknowledging her thanks with a smile, Venelana continued talking. "Back to what I was saying, the heroes fought Vanessa at the Town of Wintervale; I doubt they are there now, so we will go to the closest city and wait for them there." "All of us?" Azha questioned with a bit of surprise in his voice. "Yes, all of us." Venelana affirmed with a serious glint in her eyes. "Is that necessary?" Azah asked as his lips curved downwards into that of a frown. "I mean, you''re right now in the middle of a campaign, so is it truly wise for you to come?" "My campaign is practically over," Venelana assured with a smile. "All that is left are things that can be done by my commanders." "I see..." Azah proclaimed hesitantly. Noticing his hesitance, Venelana spoke with a tinge of curiosity in her voice. "Why? Do you think I am not needed?" "Well, not exactly..." Azah started with great reluctance as all eyes fell on him. "It''s hard to explain, but what I''m trying to say is that I feel it''s a little unnecessary for all of us to go and do this." "I see, so are you telling me it was unnecessary for our Father to send you out and find them as well?" Venelana asked with an inquisitive expression. "... Yes." Azah declared after what felt like seven long and heavy seconds of silence. "Alright," Venelana started with a nod of her head before looking at her siblings and saying to them. "Does anyone else feel this way?" "A little," Azha confessed almost immediately as he held up his left hand. "I''m not against doing this, but if we''re speaking honestly here, then I''d prefer doing something else than going to a human city and waiting for five heroes who aren''t even really heroes yet." "I understand," Venelana stated with another nod of her head. "Anybody else?" "Ehhh," Azod groaned as he did an iffy hand gesture. "I''m with Azha; I have no problems going, but if we are indeed being truthful, then I''d rather be back home doing work there." "Alright, assuming you three are the only ones who feel this way, then you all are allowed to leave." Venelana revealed after waiting a few more seconds to see if anyone else was going to speak their thoughts. "I will not force you guys to help in exterminating the heroes, but neither will I protect you if Father gets angry with you all, for you chose this, remember that." "Do you truly think Father will be blaming us if you four failed in killing the heroes?" Azah questioned with furrowed brows and a frown. "If I spun the tale a certain way, then yes, undoubtedly." Venelana answered with what looked more like a vicious grin than a friendly smile. Not liking what she was implying in the slightest, Azod opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly stopped by his older sister who had her hand up with a raised finger. "But, I will not be doing that, for there is no way they''re going to escape us, and because I know you three will support me when it''s time for me to ascend the throne, right?" "Of course," Azah answered with a grin. "You are the oldest and deserve it more than any of us." At this, Venelana said nothing, and simply smiled.
To Be Continued.