《Goddess of the Fallen World》


 The Beginning of the End

    Enter Lumiara ¨C a wonderful world brimming with riches and state-of-the-art architecture.


    The most populated area was the main city, Afflu. Known as a hub of celebration, the cobblestone streets bathed in the warm glow of lanterns as children''s laughter echoed while chasing one another around fountains carved from stone. On the corner of these streets, merchants eagerly called out to passersby, attracting civilians and adventurers with their bargains.


    Within the city, taverns were always lit. Male adventurers would flood in flocks boastfully, ready for their usual orders. Other than bantering with each other, most of the time they attempted to charm the waitresses. Clearly, their egos after a successful mission were inflated to the moon.


    One instance was a sturdy built adventurer grabbing on the tray of a waitress. She was aiming to leave after delivering his fifth order.


    "H-hey pretty lady *hic* why don''t you ditch the tavern and come with me after." The man clearly drunk out of his mind bothered the waitress.


    Her lips curled up awkwardly, hiding her uncomfortableness, "Sorry sir, I still have a job to finish." She gently tugged the tray towards her direction, freeing it from the adventurer.


    As she walked away only one thought ran through her mind, Drop dead, bastard. That was the normal reaction for these waitresses, but who could blame them? Majority of adventurers had a permanent stench of booze. The scent of roasted meat did its best in filling the air, masking the lingering smell of alcohol.


    Outside of the taverns, the prosperity and blessings from the Goddess allowed homes to tower above the city. Their vibrant colors glow warmly whenever the sun began to settle.


    In the heart of the grand temple located in the middle of the city, nested a shrine made to worship and receive blessings from the Goddess of this world. Sacred imagery and depictions of her covered the smooth walls. A joke in the city was to always bring protective eye wear whenever visiting the shrine as the holiness radiating could blind someone.


    Outside of Afflu lay vast fields of green that sparkled whenever the sun was out. Clear flowing rivers that reflected the sky and the lasting effects of magic that permeated the air. A world full of blessings indeed, where fortune smiled on those who called it home.


    Well¡­ that was until the incident happened. The con of the Goddess''s curiosity laid waste to Lumiara. The other deities combined a fraction of their powers into delivering a blinding like holy shower that eradicated what Lumiara was known for. The humans living weren''t able to process what happened. As soon as a speck of light was visible, the damage was done.


    Buildings that once towered twenty feet high now lay in ruins, some cleaved in half, others reduced to mere rubbles. Lanterns shattered, casting darkness over the city. The once beloved temple and shrine that stood tall could not handle the attack either.


    The temple that acted like a barrier protecting the shrine immediately turned to debris. The imagery was all but burnt to a crisp. Not only that, the main attraction, the statue was tarnished. The materials used to make the statue were able to withstand some of the attack. Cracks formed all over the statue but the worst of it was the disabled head. The statue''s head was cleanly sliced from the neck, rolling on the carpet ground before stopping right next to the body. The sight of the statue truly dishonored the Goddess.


    The one place that for some reason wasn''t affected was the guild hall. The guild dominated in stature compared to the rest of the city. This was the area to go for an adventurer wanting to get their foot in the door. They sign up by going to the receptionist and are shown the abilities and stats they start out with. At least adventurers can still do their jobs, some things don''t change.


    Much can''t be said for the non-adventurers, a lot of crops and materials have been destroyed. Even worse, many were struck by personal tragedies. The aftermath from the debris of the damaged buildings fell upon them and not even children were spared from the casualties. Merchants and blacksmiths scrambled, gathering what little they got to sell. Waitresses were left with no choice but to wait for the taverns to be rebuilt before they could resume work. Either they must wait for the adventurers to farm materials from missions or consider becoming adventurers themselves.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Back to present times, the Goddess continues her deep slumber. The man who took her in, still sitting across from her. After some unknown time, the Goddess slowly opens her eye lids as her vision goes from blurry to clear.


    "AH!" The Goddess eyes locked on to the man as she panics, dropping the warm towel that was on her forehead. Seeing a stranger first thing waking up in unfamiliar territory can get that reaction out of somebody.


    The Goddess looked around wondering where she was and how she got here. She curled her body like a fetus position, a way to defend her vulnerability.


    "Woah woah it''s okay no need to panic!" The man quickly motioned his hands up and down.


    Seeing how distressed she looked, he softened his tone and began to explain.


    "Please calm down¡­ Earlier I saw you in pain as you were walking¡­. Then you collapsed in front of my door." His voice got softer as he kept going, "I couldn''t just leave you on the cold ground."


    The Goddess took some time to process what happened. Maybe he''s okay to trust?She thought to herself.


    Staring at the man, there was no sign of ill intentions behind those eyes or words. "I see.." The Goddess looked down as she finally responded, easing her body back to a normal position.


    "If you don''t mind me asking¡­ What is your name?" The man realized they haven''t had the chance to introduce themselves to each other.


    "My name? Well, it''s Astraea." Astraea took a deep breath, "What is yours?"


    "My name is Kael." Kael smiled cheerfully at Astraea, then continued "Would you like to stay here?"


    To Kael, seeing how battered Astraea was in the beginning and everything else that happened, the only logical conclusion to come to was that she had no home.


    "Wha-" A puzzled expression appeared on Astraea''s face, "Why would you do that?"


    "If that''s too much to ask, you don''t have to¡­. It''s just¡­" Kael faced down, weakening his voice. He couldn''t bring up how hurt Astraea was, even though it''s obvious to him that she already knows.


    "It''s okay¡­ I know¡­" It was as if Astraea responded to Kael''s thoughts. She flipped a switch trying to showcase a soft but cheerful tone not wanting to burden Kael after the state he saw her in. She tightened her hands on her robe and expressed, "That''s fine by me! I will be your roommate for now on."


    Kael had a satisfied look as he walked towards a room, placing his hand out, "Here''s my room, it''s not the biggest or best quality but sleeping on it should suffice."


    Astraea frowned, "What about you?"


    "Oh me?" Kael pointed at himself, "I''ll just sleep on the couch that you''re laying on."


    "Why?!" Astraea clutched the towel given to her, "Shouldn''t you sleep in the bed?! It''s your home!"


    Kael chuckled, "It''s fine, it''s fine." He walked back to where Astraea was, "As for food, I am almost running out of them. But there should be some left if you look hard enough."


    Look hard enough? That''s a strange way of saying things. Astraea was at a loss for words.


    Kael sat down across from Astraea until he realized something important, "I didn''t ask if you wanted tea? Where''s my etiquette?" He frantically got up.


    "Huh? Oh, sure that would be nice." The soft tone still present when Astraea responded.


    As Kael walked away to the stove, he muttered to himself, "How could I forget something as basic as that?" Before stumbling his feet on air.


    Kael turned on the stove as he poured water into a kettle. While waiting for the water to boil, he placed the best tea leaves he had into two cups. Astraea watched behind him, analyzing Kael.


    He doesn''t seem anything special now. He must be a beginner, the armor he''s wearing is only level 2 equipment. About 10 hits and it would disintegrate.


    "Are you a newbie adventurer?"


    Hiss Hiss Hiss


    Kael stopped midway with the kettle in his hand after the water finished boiling, "Is it that easy to tell?" Kael chuckled, "I''m on my own and money is tight, so I decided why not become an adventurer?"


    "Are the missions easy? Do you have any companions?" Rapid fire questions came out of Astraea.


    "The missions are somewhat easy and for companions¡­ I help carry the bags for other adventurers." Kael placed a teacup in front of Astraea, he didn''t want to tell her the way he would get kills to afford the armor he has now.


    Astraea took a sip, her eyes widened from how delicious the tea was. Kael lips formed a proud smile looking at her face.


    Astraea placed her cup down on the long table, regaining her composure, "Why is it like that? The guild had a special event for all newbie adventurers to be equipped with magic to have an easier time starting out." She tilted her head, "You didn''t attend?"


    In recent memory, to celebrate the new batch of adventurers, the guild gave away skill points that would cover gaining a magic skill. Clearly, Kael did not have a clue about it.


    "Eh?" Sweat began to produce on Kael''s face while nervously smiling, "What did you say?"


    "Mhm?" It was Astraea''s turn to be shocked, "You didn''t know?"


    "Hmm?" Kael''s face tilted to the side as the sweat profusely flooded his face.


    "There were posters posted on the walls around the city."


    "ARGHH!!" Kael''s fingers ruffled through his black hair as he crouched down on the couch, "I thought people were just wasting paper!" Then Kael paused and looked up at Astraea, "But how would you know th-" He went back to being in anguish, "It doesn''t matter! I must grind to get to level 5!"


    Astraea had her eyes close as she was going to explain, "You know if you go back to the guild, they could make an exception since you were part of that bat-" Astraea noticed how quiet it was, she opened her eyes to see Kael had already ran out the door.


    What a funny man. She lifted her hand towards her mouth chuckling.


    Kael sprinted, finding the nearest low-level dungeons he can.

 Prologue

    In a world once radiant with divine glory, a single discovery unraveled everything.


    The Goddess who ruled the world was beloved by her followers and the adventurers who visited her shrine were granted blessings and protection. Until one day the Goddess dared to question the system that sustained her world''s prosperity and the other worlds ruled by the other Gods and Goddesses. And in doing so, she unearthed a truth that condemned her.


    Suspicions gnawed on the Goddess. The prosperity seemed too perfect, too seamless. She was driven by a growing unease, so she sought answers.


    The other Gods and Goddesses in a fit of rage held a meeting to discuss the fate of that Goddess. The meeting room was in another dimension that could only be opened when all the deities combined their powers.


    It was a large colosseum venue that was filled with many rows and seats. Many of the Gods and Goddesses couldn''t understand why the Goddess would want to mess with the natural order of things. One thing was for certain, they wanted to punish her for sticking her nose into things that shouldn''t be explored and for also hurting their image.


    The Goddess trembled in fear as she awaited whatever verdict the others came up with. She didn''t know what type of punishment would be given for what she did. It''s not like this ever happened before.


    Chains of divine light bound the Goddess as the council pronounced their verdict. Her cries for a reason fell on deaf ears as they tore away her celestial essence, leaving her broken and discarded.


    "Please forgive me! I-I''m sorry for overstepping my boundaries..." Tears steamrolled down the Goddess''s cheeks, "I-I won''t do it again!"


    The other deities could care less about her pleas.


    It was the only correct choice according to them. Rumors started spreading around from the mortals about the truth of the system and if the Gods and Goddesses were righteous and good. They used the Goddess as a scapegoat, tainting her image as she took all the blame.


    The world she once ruled now became lawless and the corruption of the system increased. Only leaving a guild base that was somewhat governed. Her followers gone, her adventurers gone, her authority gone.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Goddess, in a fit of shock and denial, ran away before the procedure of removing her powers was fully complete. In her desperate escape, her unstable powers spiraled out of control, tearing a rift between realms and casting her into the human world.


    The procedure was brutal, leaving bruises and tears on the Goddess. Her once-pristine white robe was now tattered and stained. The bow that was once in perfect condition keeping her hair up only leaving her bangs across her forehead, was now dangling on one side. Her long silver hair clings to her damp, bruised skin.


    She could barely keep her eyes open, the weariness taken into effect. She wandered the streets barefoot endlessly as people avoided her, not wanting to be seen near such a disgraceful goddess. The other deities made it be known that anyone seen helping the Goddess would face divine punishment.


    The Goddess stumbled a few steps before collapsing from exhaustion.


    Cold.


    She laid on the hard steps defenselessly. The cool surface numbed the bruised right cheek of the Goddess.


    Ba bump. Ba bump. Ba bump.


    On the other side was the beating heart of a young man. He hesitated at the door with his fingers hovering over the doorknob. He heard the rumors - the fallen goddess condemned by the heavens themselves. Anyone could tell that helping her would be suicide.


    And yet... as he inspected through his window and saw her battered figure, something deep inside stirred, an ache, he couldn''t ignore.


    It was still light outside, so the man came up with a plan. He decided to wait until nightfall, when the streets would be empty, to help the Goddess unnoticed. Word about the Goddess has already spread everywhere, anything that looked like helping her would have people shaming you.


    Tick tock tick tock.


    Hours passed. The man waited in silence.


    Nightfall occurred.


    The Goddess was still passed out.


    The man examined his windows once again to see if the streets were empty. The silence of no footsteps walking was the man''s cue. He quickly opened the door again and carefully picked up the Goddess into a bridal position. Are all goddesses this light? She''s so fragile.


    He walked inside, closing the door, and placing the Goddess on his couch.


    The man muttered to himself, "I know this is stupid, but I can''t help it, seeing her bruised made me want to help her even knowing the risks."


    The man went to his kitchen and grabbed a towel. He folded the towel as he turned the sink on, dousing the towel in warm water. He walked back to the Goddess before gently placing the towel on her forehead.


    As the night deepened, the man sat nearby, watching over her frail form. Her breathing steadied, but her face remained etched with pain. What would she say when she woke? Would she thank him--or fear him?


    And more pressing still... had he just saved a fallen deity?


    Or doomed himself in the process?

 The Life of a Low-Level Adventurer and His Goddess Roommate

    Kael ran through the forest as his home was on the outskirts of the city. The once vibrant forest now filled with withered trees and dead grass. Kael couldn''t but feel pain in his heart, yet he had bigger worries that were important at the moment.


    I picked the worst day to oversleep. Time to see if I can find any weak or damaged monsters.


    The magic giveaway guild event was held a few days after most of the new adventurers became part of the guild. Low on money, Kael had taken on a mission the day before but overestimated his abilities. He tagged along with level 8 adventurers who only agreed due to needing someone to carry their belongings. To his dismay, his body was pushed to the limits. Dodging and weaving, twisting his body in ways he hasn''t imagined, all to avoid as much damage as possible.


    Checking his stats was more frustrating as the XP barely moved. The reason for this is due to him getting the last hit, dealing the finishing blow on monsters that the other adventurers would overlook. This would be impressive if it wasn''t for the fact that those monsters were already on their last leg. More XP would have been given if he dealt more blows.


    Kael shut his eyes, shame curling in his chest as the thoughts lingered. I couldn''t let Astraea know this is how I actually am as an adventurer. Someone who lurks around until the perfect opportunity presents itself to me.


    A battle cry snapped Kael out of his thoughts. It was a disfigured kobold who appeared to have escaped from another battle. The kobold seemed to be between two and three feet tall with one working leg, carrying a sword.


    As Kael reached for his back pocket that carried a dull knife, he thought to himself, this should be easy, probably will take about two hits if I sneak up behind him.


    He stealthily hurried through the bushes, positioning himself behind the kobold. Ready, set¡­ GO!


    "Ahh!" Kael jumped out of the bush with both hands holding his knife over his head. The kobold turned out trying to prepare itself but¡­ it was too late. In two stiff slices, the kobold went down instantly.


    "Eh, no good again it seems." Kael squatted and searched the now dead kobold to see if there was any good items to steal. However, its'' weapon wasn''t in any better shape than his own. Let alone having any valuables on them.


    "What a shame, at least I received some xp from that." Kael stood up as he ruffled his hair, "That was a good warmup, let''s go further and see what leftovers are left in these dungeons. " He smirked at the thought of the easy xp he could gain, " I should try to be quick before heading back to Astraea, she must be lonely without me." He giggled to himself, pacing his steps in a skipping motion delving deeper into the forest.


    Back at Kael''s home.


    Astraea is currently surveying the house, placing her hand on her chin as if stroking her nonexistent beard. Even though he lives alone, I wish he took better care of himself and his home. She found clothes and dust all over the floors and counters.


    I got it! He will be so surprised when he comes back. Astraea walked towards a door that appeared to be a closet. This must be where the cleaning supplies are. Once Astraea opened the door, sure enough, she was correct.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.She brought out all the cleaning supplies and found a random cloth to put over her attire to not dirty it. Astraea placed her hands on her hips as she looked at what''s ahead of her, "Time to get to work."


    Astraea started with collecting all the trash bags laying around the home. One by one she picked up the fully loaded black bags. "Good thing these are already tied up, makes it easier." She walked towards the door that led outside but then¡­.


    Astraea hand hovered over the door knob¡­ the memories from what happened before she got saved flooded her brain. Can I do this? I don''t know I''m scared¡­


    Astraea clenched her teeth as her head lowered.


    Crunch.


    Before Astraea knew it, her hands were straining from the force of gripping the trash bags.


    "Huh?" Astraea''s eyes widen when the realization hit as she saw her hands.


    Thud.


    Cling clack.


    The thrash bags filled with glasses and other disposable things fell to the floor.


    The once widen eyes now back to regular, "What am I doing?!" Everything finally registered to Astraea fully.


    She got down to regain her grasp on the bags, "Going outside is too much for me at the moment it seems¡­" Astraea''s voice softened, "I''ll place them next to the door and have Kael take them outside."


    As Astraea stood up and placed the bags next to the door, she turned her attention to the bed and bathroom.


    In front of her was an unmade bed, covers everywhere, followed by clothes laying on the ground.


    "I don''t know if it was best for him to be on his own." Astraea chuckled.


    While Astraea tended to the untidy room, Kael laid his eyes on the entrance in front of him.


    It was a dungeon known for having weak monsters, a great place for newbie adventurers. Just then...


    Boom!


    Boom!


    Kael turned to his right to see a few explosions go off.


    "What''s going on over there? Hmm.. probably some crazed adventurer."


    It was too much trouble for a beginner like Kael, he will just leave it up to the more advanced ones.


    Inside the dungeon was usually calm near the entrance unless a monster was lured out. Kael walked further down a path.


    Cling! Clash!


    Kael quickly hid behind a corner.


    There was an party of four members; a healer, a tank, and two attackers. A pretty well-rounded group. They were in the middle of an battle against some orcs.


    Even though this group was somewhat new, the orcs stood no chance due to how well-coordinated they were.


    However, lucky for me, they weren''t the type to fully check if their opponents were dead. The group quickly ran further down the dungeon hunting for more monsters.


    Slash! Slash! Slash!


    Kael quickly snuck in and finished off the orcs. He can already feel himself getting closer to obtaining magic.


    After a few more of this sequence, Kael decided that was enough for today.


    "Now, I should head back to Astraea." Kael wiped off the sweat from his forehead.


    By now, Kael was deep in the dungeon. While making his way back up to the entrance. his senses tingled.


    Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.


    Oh no....


    Kael could already tell trouble was coming his way.


    Kael''s eyes widened as he turned around, seeing the sight in front of him.


    Oh man, oh man, oh man.


    ROARRR!

 The Start of an Adventure

    Standing in front of Kael was an distorted oversized mixture of a bear and sheep. The right side of its body was that of a bear coated in harsh coarse fur. The left side was that of a sheep covered in matted and filthy wool. One eye filled with murderous intent, the other, lifeless and dull.


    The tiny hairs on the back of Kael''s neck stood firm.


    Before Kael could get his mind in track, the oversized monster swung its claw horizontally.


    Fssh!


    Kael instinctively dodged as the claw barely grazed a few hair strands.


    WHAT IS A MONSTER OF THIS SIZE DOING HERE?!


    Fssh! Fssh! Fssh!


    The monster kept swinging its claws at Kael as he ran towards the entrance of the dungeon.


    One of the orcs should have a decent weapon because these daggers are not enough.


    Kael''s steps and pacing was hasty, his breathing irregular, eyes looking down left and right on at the deceased enemies.


    This one? No.. This one is also no good. WHICH ONE HAS A DECENT WEAPON?!


    The monster with no brain began to pick up the weapons on the ground and chucking them at Kael.


    Kael jumped as high as he could to avoid the onslaught of weapons. He would twist his body left and right as well as bouncing off the walls.


    A little further and Kael saw the entrance of the dungeon.


    Should I say screw it and run out of the dungeon? I know I stand no chance against this monster. Let me do what I normally always do.


    A sudden image of Astraea appeared in Kael''s head. Her pure smile even though she was hurt fought off the cowardly thoughts that Kael had.


    Kael bit his lip, lowering his head, "Fine! I won''t back down this time!" Kael turned his direction back to the monster, picking up a decent looking sword from one of the dead orcs.


    "This should help a little."


    The monster gathered both of his arms in the air, preparing to land a devastating blow. Kael continued full speed towards the monster.


    Once the monster pulled both arms down, Kael perfectly timed sliding between the monster''s legs.


    That was a close one. I need to direct him deeper into the dungeon to avoid any adventurers near the entrance getting hurt.


    By the time Kael reached a good distance inside the dungeon, there was a horrifying sight in front of him.


    The ground that once had a neutral color was now dyed in red. Kael panned his eyes following where it led to¡­. it was the group of adventurers from earlier. The bloody mess made them almost unnoticeable.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.Kael turned around to see the monster had already caught up to him.


    Sweat dripped down from his forehead, his body shaking as he took heavy gulps.


    With both hands on the blade, Kael decided it was all or nothing. He leaped forward full force with a battle cry as the blade went from over his head to the sturdy chest of the monster. However¡­.


    The blade didn''t make a dent on the monster. Both the monster and Kael looked at each other then to the ground where the blade crumbled to. It felt like the world stopped moving at that moment.


    While they both slowly look up to each other, Kael chuckled sarcastically, "You don''t mind forgetting about today and letting me go?"


    ROAR


    The monster got ready to prepare another attack as Kael was frozen still.


    Oh, great I get to die before I even learn magic. Fantastic.


    As the monster''s arms swung down to strike Kael, suddenly an explosion through the roof of the dungeon appeared.


    Boom!


    Nyah!


    A sudden impact bombarded the monster, the force causing a huge amount of dust and smoke. Kael was pushed back a bit from the aftermath.


    The smoke started to clear up, outlining a figure of what appears to be a human female.


    Who''s that?


    Kael began to squint his eyes to get a clearer view. Once the smoke vanished, a pair of cat ears and a long fluffy tail came into view. She was standing on top of a pile of rubble which Kael could assume the monster was underneath it.


    "I sensed a delicious meal here *sniff* *sniff*" The cat girl''s head wondered around as she closed her eyes to focus fully on her sense of smell.


    "Uh, I think you''re standing on top of it." Kael pointed at the pile of rubble.


    "Nyah~ and who are you pique squeak? I didn''t give anyone but me permission to speak."


    Kael slightly chuckled "Um, the names'' Kael."


    "...."


    Instead of saying anything the cat girl stared at the man in front of her.


    He''s pretty weak but it seems he''s trying to improve.


    The cat girl cleared her throat, "My name-"


    ROAR.


    Right when introductions were under away, the pile of rubble flew into the air. The cat girl''s reflexes were very quick as she got out of the way before any damage. The monster did not want to go down without a fight.


    "Tch." An aggravated look was visible on the cat girl''s face, "Proteins should stay down!" The nails on the girl''s hands sharpened as it slashed across the monster''s chest, causing a spray of blood.


    The monster fell down to one knee, trying to get back up before the cat girl once again strikes it with her claws. Clearly, the monster is on its last breath. At that moment...


    "WAIT CAN I GET THE LAST HIT? I NEED IT TO GET MY MAGIC!"


    The cat girl froze in her tracks, "Nyah~ and how will you deal the final blow?"


    Kael scratched the back of his head, "Do you have an attack that can launch me bullseyes to the monster?"


    The cat girl put her hand on her chin to think, "Hmm I guess I can try." She did a light attack on the monster so he wouldn''t be able to move before dashing to Kael.


    She grabbed both of Kael''s arms, "Are you ready?"


    Kael took a deep breath before nodding.


    The cat girl began to swing Kael around like a game of ''Ring Around the Rosie''. Yet this time, Kael''s feet weren''t on the ground and was going at full speed.


    "Woahhhhhhhhhhhh!"


    It didn''t matter if Kael tried to tighten his grip, the cat girl had a death grip on his arms.


    "Readdy.. sett.. Nyah!"


    After those words, Kael blasted off 100 miles per hour beelining to the monster. A field of energy surrounded him due to the force from the spin and being sent flying.


    Thump!


    Kael pierced a hole through the monster''s heart, effectively ending its'' life. Although now was no time for celebration as Kael couldn''t stop himself from flying.


    Boom!


    He crashed into a wall of rubble.


    "Ow...." Kael slowly got up from the rubble.


    "Huh?" When he looked up, the cat girl was nowhere to be seen.


    "Where did she go? I wanted to thank her... Especially since now I''m sure I met the requirement to gain an magic element."


    Kael picked up a few gemstones that dropped after defeating the monster, "I should head out now."