《A Demigod’s Retirement to Godhood》
1 - Time To Go Become A God?
¡°I¡¯m retiring.¡±
Dominic stared at his master blankly. ¡°You¡¯re retiring?¡±
¡°Yep.¡± Atwater nodded, his white beard bobbing along with the movement of his head. His face formed quite the odd contrast¡ªa long white beard on a youthful, unwrinkled face. Though, his eyes, hair and even his clothes were white too, so it was more like a general theme his master followed than a choice made to look old.
¡°Retire where? And what are you going to do, when you retire? Tend to a farm or something?¡±
¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ll do.¡±
Dominic felt his eyebrow twitch. This geezer is messing with me now, isn¡¯t he?
¡°No, I actually am not kidding,¡± the old man continued, as if reading Dominic¡¯s mind. His expression turned melancholy, like he was thinking of something he had lost. ¡°My dream was always to be a farmer, you know? But then, things sort of just happened one after another, and I became a god.¡±
¡°How do you become a god accidentally?¡± Dominic asked incredulously.
¡°Would you believe it started with a chicken egg and a missing cloud?¡±
¡°How does that¡ª¡± Dominic stopped and took a deep breath. He was getting caught up in his master¡¯s tangent. ¡°You know what, not right now. Some other time, when I have more energy to deal with your grand tales. But what about our duties? We do have to keep reinforcing the boundaries of the universe.¡±
His master¡¯s expression turned serious at that. ¡°We¡¯ve driven out the current wave of the Soul Eaters and killed their leader, so it should take them at least a few hundred eons to regroup and attack us again. Till then, I can maintain the barrier passively as long as I¡¯m in this universe. As for you¡ Wanna farm with me?¡±
¡°No way.¡± Dominic was all for the chill life, but farming indefinitely was not part of his ideal future¡ªno offense to farmers, they were a major part of keeping the universe and life itself running, right after the administrators.
His master chuckled, a hearty, boisterous laugh that revealed his white, pearly teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised by that. So, go become a god.¡±
¡°Eh, I don¡¯t need to rush into that just yet.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been procrastinating for a long, long time. By all means of measurement, you¡¯re long qualified to become a god. Just by sheer strength, even I¡ªwith all modesty, one of the strongest existences across all universes¡ªwould find it hard to defeat you if you put your mind to it.¡±
Dominic coughed and cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve been very occupied with fighting the Soul Eaters.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been procrastinating.¡±
¡°Hard to want to go off and accumulate karma in some unknown, unprotected universe, bond myself to it, when the universe I live and thrive in, the universe my beloved master is responsible for, is being viciously attacked by existences feared by even the most fearsome gods. It¡¯d be neglectful of my duty!¡±
¡°Or, you could go enjoy life for once, instead of being stuck in strategy meetings day after day. Now that the threat is pushed back, you can do all the things you¡¯ve never had time to pursue before. Like becoming a god.¡±
¡°True.¡± Dominic nodded. ¡°It¡¯s probably time for me to recruit a disciple too, now that I think about it.¡±
His master¡¯s eyes twinkled at Dominic¡¯s statement, and he leaped forward, making Dominic back up a few steps. The old man¡¯s eyes were practically glowing, bright enough that even the darkness of the void they were in¡ªtheir secret seclusion spot in between a few of the worlds¡ªcould not dim it.
¡°I¡¯m going to be a grandfather?!¡± Atwater asked, cooing. ¡°Oh, god, I can¡¯t wait! All those adorable kids you¡¯ll recruit, showing them the universe, teaching them the ways and pampering them when you discipline them occasionally¡ª¡±
¡°Technically, you¡¯ll be a grandmaster.¡± Dominic corrected, a smile spreading over his face at his master¡¯s excitement.
¡°Oh, then you plan to have kids too?! Make me a grandfather?!¡±
Dominic stroked his chin, smooth unlike his master¡¯s bearded visage. He preferred a clean shave. ¡°Maybe not in this excursion, but after I become a god¡ There are quite a few goddesses looking for partners right now¡¡±
His master looked like he would faint out of sheer excitement. ¡°Oh, goodness! Thank goodness you¡¯ve mellowed out! I never thought this day would arrive¡ª¡±
¡°Maybe.¡± Dominic emphasized. ¡°I might not like any of the goddesses. I might decide not to marry at all just because. Hell, my trip for accumulating karma might take too long, and they might all find matches. Calm down, Atwater.¡±
His master humphed, but did stop cooing. ¡°Fine, fine. Go meet the administration department, then. They¡¯ll yeet you into some random, ungodified universe.¡±
¡°You want to become a god, Demigod Dominic?¡± The girl turned her head towards Dominic like a sloth, practically creaking. She sported deep, dark bags below her eyes and her hair resembled a bird¡¯s nest.
¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, yes.¡±
She nodded wearily, the sheer lack of energy obvious in her neutral tone. ¡°Alright. I can check the new universes that have been born¡ªperhaps those with only a few billion years of development¡ªand throw you in one of them.¡±
¡°Couldn¡¯t you drink some elixir?¡± Dominic asked in concern, looking at her state. She looked like she would keel over any second. Most of the administrators looked similar, but none of them this bad.
¡°Oh, appraisal is coming soon¡¡± The girl murmured, turning back to the holographic device in front of her and tapping very, very slowly. ¡°The more tired I look, the more providence I¡¯ll be given as a bonus. It¡¯s a surprisingly effective strategy.¡±
Dominic blinked. That¡ was not all that out of character for the admin department employees, now that he thought about it. No wonder they were all maintaining such appearances. The woman running the admin department was a bit of a nutcase. He couldn¡¯t help but ponder whether he should report her to his master¡ªbut then he thought about Atwater¡¯s lackadaisical demeanor and shook his head internally. Besides, she¡¯s a very productive nutcase.
¡°I¡¯ll be hoping you get a good appraisal,¡± Dominic cheered her on, but then couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Aren¡¯t all of you given life stocks, though? With the Soul Eaters defeated, you should have gotten a huge amount of providence from the stocks.¡±
¡°Oh¡ It¡¯s about squeezing every last bit from our boss. A matter of personal pride.¡± The girl sighed, her eyes finally gaining a tiny spark of vitality at that statement. ¡°She tries to reduce our salaries as much as possible, and we try to increase it as much as possible. You could think of it as a game.¡±
¡°...right,¡± was the only thing Dominic could say. Of course the nutcase wouldn¡¯t hire anyone fully normal.
¡°And there. Universe-B-E-U83 seems to be suitable. Then, get ready for transport, Demigod Dominic. You¡¯ll wake up in one of the random worlds. I wish you a safe and fruitful journey.¡±
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Dominic nodded, and his next blink, his surroundings had completely changed.
No longer was he in the cold, sterile light blue room, filled with endless holographic devices and a large comfortable black beanbag in the middle, for the worker operating the devices. Instead, he was in a forest.
A surprisingly plain forest, but perhaps that was only to be expected from a universe with only a few billion years of history.
God Candidate detected.
Welcome, Demigod Dominic.
Linking to current system of the universe¡ ERROR. Complete link impossible. Partial link performed. Tutorial: Say ¡°Status Screen¡± to check your stats. Any other doubts can be cleared by the administrator of this world.
Karma System Activated.
Say ¡°Karma¡± to check the amount of Karma you have.
Dominic smiled at the light black letters blinking at the forefront of his vision. ¡°Karma,¡± he said first, mildly curious about whatever system this universe had prepared to keep its people thriving.
Demigod Dominic
Current Good Karma:
0/1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
Any acts of true ¡®evil¡¯ shall deduct from the good karma gained.
Good luck on your journey to godhood, Demigod Dominic.
Dominic dismissed the white screen with a wave of his hand, and pondered about what his next step should be. He did have to interact with the natives of this world and do some good deeds, if he wanted to gain some karma. Though, he was honestly more interested in taking in a disciple first.
Maybe he could be more passive for once, deal with situations as they come and gain karma while focusing more on his disciple instead of grinding for good karma?
Yeah, that sounds appealing, Dominic nodded to himself. He then thought about the other message he¡¯d gotten. Right, this world had a system. It¡¯d not be a bad idea to get used to the system of this world¡ªeven if for his to-be-disciple, it was a good idea to train them naturally on the system they are used to at least till they became a demigod¡ªand talk to the natural administrator of the world.
¡°Status Screen,¡± he said, and a light blue screen popped up in front of him.
Demigod Dominic¡¯s Status Screen
Level: Undefined
Specializations:
Divine Power [LvL Undefined]
The Authority of Nullification [LvL Undefined]
The Authority of Destruction [LvL Undefined]
The Authority of Creation [LvL Undefined]
The Aura of the Supreme [LvL Undefined]
[EXPAND?]
Titles:
The One Who Scoured The Universe [Unique, EX-Grade]
The One Who Can See Beyond [Unique, EX-Grade]
[Error undefined, unable to process other titles. Kindly contact the administrator for a swift fixing of any errored titles. Thank you.]
[Press Here to initiate a meeting with the Administrator of World RenBIY876]
Dominic didn¡¯t bother expanding any of his specialisations and instead pressed on the glowing yellow button that would initiate the meeting with the administrator. A few seconds passed with nothing happening, and just when Dominic was beginning to doubt whether the button worked at all, his surroundings changed again.
He was in a soothingly peaceful grassland, a table in front of him¡ª
No, that wasn''t true. A Soul Eater''s illusion?
Dominic clicked his finger and the world around him tore, like he was ripping off the wallpaper attached to a wall.
It wasn''t a Soul Eater.
The grassland disappeared, being replaced by a small room with two bookshelves and posters littering the wall. The bookshelves were lined with books with titles such as ¡®How to be a good administrator¡¯, ¡®The Basics of World++¡¯, ¡®I can barely keep my world alive, what do I do? A guide¡¯, clearly showing just how inexperienced this administrator was. World++, really? His universe had already moved on to using the latest World+x89!
A blue-haired girl sat on the floor in front of him, her hand hovering over a translucent blue screen, bright blue eyes wide as she stared at him blankly. Even her dress was trimmed in blue¡ªjust what was up with those in the upper tiers and their bland, singular color palettes? At least the hue was slightly different, but really. Style these days sure wasn''t what it used to be.
¡°You must be the administrator,¡± Dominic greeted calmly.
He''d clearly caught her very off guard. She hiccuped, but she quickly caught herself and began, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry if I offended you in some manner, Your Demigodness! I simply wanted to create a pleasant place for us to meet! A¡ªAs you can see, my room is very dirty! T¡ªThen, what have you come here for, Your Demigodness?¡±
Dominic blinked as he realized what he¡¯d done. Removing the illusions Soul Eaters spawned was so reflexive that he''d removed this admin¡¯s illusion without really thinking. Well, no harm no foul, so he continued, ¡°I wanted to ask you where the village nearest to me is.¡±
The girl blinked. ¡°A¡ªAbout ten miles away from you, Your Demigodness.¡± She raised a hand to point. "That direction from your previous orientation."
¡°Good, good.¡± Dominic nodded. ¡°That¡¯s all I came to ask. Also, it¡¯d be easier to have some voice call or chat function, meeting you every time I have a query would be inconvenient.¡±
The girl stared at him blankly, as if not fully processing his words. Dominic stared back at her¡ªit¡¯d be rude to break eye contact.
A few seconds later did the girl nod, hesitantly. Opening and closing her mouth multiple times, she finally asked, ¡°Forgive me for my petulance, Your Demigodness, but couldn¡¯t you just find a village on your own with a basic scan of this world with your holy power?¡±
Dominic nodded. ¡°That is a very good question. I certainly could.¡± He then smiled, a toothy, wide grin, lifting his hands to make finger guns at the girl, ¡°But why try when I have you?¡±
The girl blinked. ¡°Me?¡±
¡°Yes, you. You see, I have no time limits on this journey of karma," Dominic explained. "I could take eons, if not even longer to become the god of this universe. My master is going into retirement too, so I thought I could take some inspiration from him and take a semi-retirement too. Not be so uptight and chill a bit in this journey. See the sights. Enjoy the trip.¡±
The girl nodded along.
He nodded back as he continued explaining. ¡°Hence, I want you to be my assistant, if you could. Do all the small chores for me while I completely relax. Maybe map out some ways I could get karma, show me the nearby terrain and locations, help me recruit a good disciple¡ Only if you don¡¯t mind, of course.¡±
The girl¡¯s nodding intensified. ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind! Anything for you, Your Demigodness!¡±
Dominic grinned. ¡°Thanks a ton. I don¡¯t expect you to do this for free, obviously. Is there anything you want in return? Providence, perhaps? Or maybe you¡¯re a tiny bit too low level to use it properly.¡± He stroked his chin, pondering just what he could give her to make this a fair deal.
The girl spoke shyly, ¡°But providence is used in this universe too, Your Demigodness! It¡¯d help me a lot, too! Books and resources are sold for cheaper currencies, but any proper tutor always asks me for providence¡ I don¡¯t have much of it, though, making me have to rely on books and not being able to learn effectively!¡±
¡°That works, then.¡± Dominic nodded. He had a lot of providence. ¡°Tell me whenever you need some providence to buy something, consider it me sponsoring your education fully in return for your assistance. Or you could ask for an hourly rate, if you want to spend it in general.¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to be sponsored!¡± The girl said unhesitatingly.
Dominic reached out into the air and waved his hand, opening a purple rift. He took out a small black wallet from within, taking out a stack of translucent blue bills with the words ¡®DISTILLED PROVIDENCE¡¯ on them.
The sheer quantity made the girl gape, her jaw practically on the floor.
He handed her a bill and said, ¡°Tell me when you need more, then. What¡¯s your name, by the way?¡±
¡°Gabrielle, Your Demigodness!¡± Gabrielle said, her eyes sparkling like a chicken that had found grain on the floor as she all but drooled over the blue bill in her hands.
¡°Don¡¯t call me Your Demigodness, call me Dominic instead.¡± Dominic said before continuing, "Also, I''ll need you to sort out my system migration, your local version isn''t playing nice. Maybe get it updated while you''re at it."
"Y-yes, Demi¨Cer, Mister Dominic!"
¡°Then, I¡¯ll be leaving.¡± With a wave of his hand, he was back in the forest, surrounded by the plain old trees once more.
Time to see what this new universe had to offer.
He turned in the direction Gabrielle had indicated the town would be and set off at a leisurely stroll. He had so many questions about his new potential universe. Would there be monsters, and if so would they know enough to avoid him, or try to eat him? What was the tech level like? Would they need a lot of divine intervention, or was this one of those worlds that could pretty much run itself with minimal interference?
But for now it was a lovely walk in peaceful woods. Three or four different kinds of trees, white birch and dark oak and blueish stellin formed a natural medley of soothing color. They may be mundane by universal standards, but the more he walked among them the more he grew to appreciate their subtle beauty.
A quiet breeze wafted the scent of distant grain and the sharp tang of sour berries. Birds sang to one another and butterflies flitted by on their way between flowers.
No need to rush into things. He¡¯d spent enough time on the front lines of the Soul Eater war, he¡¯d definitely earned a casual vacation.
2 - Time To Go Find A Disciple!
It took Dominic a few hours to reach the village, even with Gabrielle popping up a map in front of him to show him exactly where he had to go. It¡¯d been so long since he ambled through a forest peacefully. The last time he¡¯d done so was probably before he¡¯d become a Demigod.
He skipped along through the trees, taking in the fresh breeze and the peaceful blue sky, the chirping of the birds overhead and the rustling grass beneath his feet.
Once, he spotted a pack of wolves, which immediately made him want to pat them. Alas, they fled the second they saw him, robbing him of the chance to stroke their soft fur. Well, probably not so soft, considering that they were wild wolves. But still! They could have let him find out for himself without having to chase them down. He wasn¡¯t in the mood for chasing. Maybe another time.
Before exiting the forest to enter the village, he clicked his finger and changed his attire. Instead of his usual beloved regal black suit, he went with more ragged and dirty clothes, ones suitable for a normal poor traveler.
He also donned a makeshift backpack, clearly giving off the vibe of a wandering merchant. A small scale, indie merchant, naturally. It wouldn¡¯t do to seem too well off, then people would be more likely to bother him.
First he could see if the village had any troubles¡ª
Gabrielle is scanning the village for its difficulties.
The village is currently suffering from the onset of a deadly plague. The villagers are hovering between life or death.
Potential karma gain: At least +10 to +100 karma for every healed villager!
^w^
Right. He had an assistant now, didn¡¯t he? So convenient.
A plague, hm? It had been a long, long time since he¡¯d tried to heal someone on a low level. He could probably just completely reconstruct their bodies, strengthening them fundamentally and making them immune to all viruses? Anything more controlled felt far too hard to execute.
^.^¡¯¡¯
You are truly kind, Your Demi¡ªMister Dominic.
Dominic nodded. That he was.
Digby could barely think as he lay in bed, his vision swirling. He could vaguely feel his arms bleeding, having scratched at them in his delirious state, but couldn¡¯t get himself to care.
He could feel it.
Death beckoned him, arms wide and open as it waited for him to reach it.
He could see his family members¡ªhis mom, dad. Waiting for him next to the grim reaper, small smiles on their faces. His wife, having died during childbirth. His¡ª
The slow drift into cold nothing abruptly reversed.
Warmth suddenly spread through his entire body. Peaceful, soothing warmth, like his mother¡¯s warm hug when he had been so, so young, that lasted for both an eternity and a single moment.
His vision cleared, allowing him to perceive his surroundings, the hut, his body¡ªfree of pain, more completely than ever before in his life¡ªand the man standing next to him.
Digby tilted his head towards the man. Holiness radiated around him, his short black hair, his pale face, his calming golden eyes.
Instantly, he knew.
This was what an angel would look like.
¡°You¡¯ve come to help us, oh angel¡?¡± Digby murmured, reaching his hand out to touch the sacred existence. He held himself back when he realized how sacrilegious such an act would be, barely, but couldn¡¯t help his plea. ¡°Please, please save the rest of them¡¡±
¡°I already have. Be at peace.¡± The angel placed his hand over Digby¡¯s eyes, and he slipped into a deep, deep slumber.
+100 Good Karma.
Dominic grinned as he sent the last villager to sleep, which would give their body time to acclimate to the improvements he¡¯d made. It felt nice, doing good deeds like this.
What now? He pondered as he walked out of the hut.
Though he¡¯d met everyone here, none of the villagers sparked any hint of shared destiny. His instincts told him they wouldn¡¯t be good disciples for him. Not because of their talent or lack of talent, Dominic could create talent for them easily enough. Something more instinctive, a deeper lack of connection.
He¡¯d need to search farther afield.
Gabrielle advises that Mister Dominic goes to the capital of the kingdom. As the most populous town in the kingdom, there are many opportunities for karma within the capital, and also higher chances that Mister Dominic will be able to find someone worthy to be his disciple!
( ????? )
¡°True.¡± Dominic stretched and glanced around at the empty land that surrounded the village. ¡°Point the way. I¡¯ve had my fill of walking, so I think I¡¯ll fly instead this time.¡±
That was another thing he was a little out of practice at. Sure, he¡¯d flown through the space between worlds and flown through the void, but it had been a while since he¡¯d flown within a world.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
With the war always so urgent, he usually just teleported to his destination, missing out on all these small, beautiful moments.
The wind against his face as he flew, the way the clouds looked like cotton candy he could grab and just eat...
Gabrielle could probably make the clouds cotton candy for him to eat if he asked.
Would you like me to? It might be a bit challenging to figure out the conversion, but I can try if it''ll make Mister Dominic''s flight easier.
( * ^ *) ¥Î¥·
Dominic smiled as he leaned into a turn. "That won''t be necessary, thank you."
The sun warmed his skin, the breeze cooled his face, and everything smelled clean and fresh.
Flying was a lot faster than walking. He¡¯d be there in no more than a few hours.
Whenever he started to see signs of life, he made himself invisible to avoid panicking the natives. He considered doing some flybys to tease them, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood for pranks. Maybe another time.
After a while, the sprawling capital city spread in front of his eyes. It couldn¡¯t compare to some of the true metropolises he¡¯d seen, but it had a sort of rustic charm. Almost nostalgic, in its way.
Dominic descended to the ground and joined the line of people waiting to enter, blending in as he took in his surroundings.
The line was divided into three, one on the left for VIPs, a much larger central gate for carriages and caravans, and another on the right for those on foot who didn¡¯t warrant special shortcuts.
He scanned the crowds as the line steadily moved.
The local economy seemed healthy, plenty of caravans coming and going. How much would it cost to buy a house here? Maybe he could put up a shop in the capital. Perhaps a cafe? Or he could specialize in artifact creation. That would be amusing, making unimaginably complex artifacts and developing this world, savoring the natives¡¯ reactions.
Mmmm, well, it¡¯d all depend on his disciple¡¯s preferences. If they wanted a calm, shop life, Dominic could provide that. If they wanted to actively change the world, use their powers for good, that would be what Dominic enabled.
There weren¡¯t very many people traveling armed, which spoke well to the peace of the kingdom.
The guards had carefully blank faces and wore plain metal armor so flimsy Dominic had to stifle a laugh. Even a basic warrior could bend it in two¡ but Dominic¡¯s standards might be rather broken. It¡¯d probably be effective against the locals¡ after all, this was a young universe that probably hadn¡¯t needed to defend itself against anything serious yet.
A-anything serious?
¡°Nothing you need to worry about. I¡¯ll be here to handle it.¡± He should have plenty of time to increase his divine connection to the place before any emergency came up. And if not, the disciples he trained would be strong enough to hold their own while he speedran a few extreme karmic events.
Extreme? Why do I get a bad feeling about that, Mister Dominic?
¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t come to that. There¡¯s plenty of opportunity to improve things long before then.¡±
¡°What brings you to the capital?¡± one of the guards asked, squinting at Dominic with confusion, then beckoned his partner closer and whispered something.
The other guard¡¯s face scrunched up into confusion too, his gaze wandering over Dominic¡¯s body¡ªhis clothes and appearance, if Dominic were to guess, unless the man was gay. ¡°Um, are you perhaps a Rift Sealer?¡±
Rift Sealer? Not familiar with that term.
A Rift Sealer is someone who suppresses the randomly occurring rifts in this world, Mister Dominic! They are the warriors of this world, and are highly respected. Rift Sealers specialize in a whole lot of things, ranging from healing to spells, so they can be anything from a mage to a healer! They are classified into ranks, commonly from F to S!
The guards are unable to see your status even if they use their Inspect Ability, and hence they are assuming you are an accomplished Rift Sealer with proportionally higher stats.
Gabrielle out!
????(??? ,<)~???
¡°No, you must be,¡± the guard rambled on while Dominic read the information. ¡°Which rank are you? Why is someone like you in this¡ well, there could be many reasons, perhaps you¡¯ve had a long journey.¡±
¡°Ah, yes.¡± Dominic smiled reassuringly. ¡°Long journey, long journey. Just conquered a rift solo, you see.¡±
¡°S¡ªSolo?¡± One guard stared like he¡¯d told them the world was flat, eyes wide in shock.
The other guard, however, nodded like everything made sense. ¡°N¡ªNo wonder, you must be one of the¡ª¡± he lowered his voice, seeing that the other members of the line were peering at them curiously, ¡°hidden cards of the kingdom! Please, go in! I admire everything you do for us. If you need any help¡ªnot that anyone of your strength will ever need it¡ªplease, please let me know!¡±
With a small, dignified smile, Dominic nodded. ¡°And I appreciate what you men do for the kingdom. Being a guard is no easy job, yet you two dedicate yourself to our glorious kingdom.¡± The guard had clearly made a few assumptions and leaps in logic there, but it worked well for him. Honestly, he should have just become an actor instead of a demigod.
The guards nodded fervently, touched by his declaration, and waved him through with such stiff respect he half expected them to start saluting.
The peasant gate led to a small, cramped corridor with barely any light. A few seconds of walking and he emerged into the capital, the busiest place in¡ª
What is this kingdom¡¯s name, again?
Nohl, the Empire of Rift Sealers! Even the royals are Rift Sealers, with the king famously being an SS Rank Rift Sealer!
( ? ?¦Ø?? )?
Mhm, thank you.
Nohl, the Empire of Rift Sealers. How exciting! What kind of opportunities would he find, in this little place? Would the food be worth sparking his appetite over? He hadn¡¯t bothered with eating anything for so long.
He pondered over that question for a few seconds as he walked, taking in the mixed aromas of the area, then decided against it for now.
Dominic strolled through the capital, immersing himself in his surroundings. It was primitive, but that was what was so rustic and beautiful about it! Life''s enjoyment lay in the little things. The normal things kept adding up, forming life¡¯s vast, beautiful canvas.
Cobblestone roads infused with mana, towering, multi-story shops and alleyways that led to residential areas¡
He was passing by one of those countless alleyways when something caught his attention.
A bony, emancipated hand reaching out. Dominic paused.
It was a kid, blood leaking out of his eyes, bumps oozing pus filling his face. He tried to call for help with the remaining energy he had, but only managed a weak gasp. His eyes pleaded, desperate to find a way to survive, to escape his wretched fate, to thrive, and everyone was simply¡ ignoring him.
No, as he looked at the expressions on the faces of those who passed by, it was¡ disgust. The boy¡¯s attempt at survival disgusted them. Inconvenient. Pathetic. Unnecessary.
Dominic could already see what would happen. The kid lay next to a shop. The shop owner would inevitably come outside, see a ¡®messy, disgusting distraction¡¯ lying next to his shop, and call the guards. The boy would be moved if not disposed of in some or the other manner.
And for the first time since Dominic had arrived in this world¡ªfor the first time since Dominic became a demigod¡ªhe allowed himself to feel it.
Empathy.
In the boy, he saw himself. The way he had once called out for help desperately, how he too received only scorn and hatred from the world. Refused any chance of help, given only further trials and tribulations.
If not for his master¡ Without him, Dominic would¡¯ve¡
A smile spread over his face.
He found his first disciple, didn''t he?
3 - Calvin?
Calvin knew he should hide away deeper in the alleyway.
If one of the shop owners got irritated¡
Well, they usually got irritated by his presence even when he was healthy, just by his appearance, let alone now. Diseased, ill, even more of an eyesore than normal.
Calvin didn¡¯t know what he was hoping for, reaching out of the alleyway.
Pity?
Sympathy?
Some alms?
Maybe a swift death at the hands of the guards, instead of slowly wasting away to this disease?
Or maybe¡ A hand to reach out to him too, to grab at him and pull him out of this hole of misery?
But that was impossible, even in his dreams.
So when a hand did reach out, touching his hand¡ªholding tight to Calvin¡¯s dirty, blood-streaked, oozing hand to lift him up¡ªhe didn¡¯t know what to believe.
It couldn¡¯t be real. Perhaps his mind had finally broken fully, giving up on reality and hallucinating something comforting in his last moments?
He stared up at the well groomed man pretending to blend in¡ª simple clothes and haphazard dirty makeup couldn¡¯t hide his clean and sharp appearance from someone who observed people all day like Calvin. The stranger couldn¡¯t have been more out of place. And when he heard the man¡¯s words, he knew he was indeed just hallucinating.
¡°Kid, I¡¯m a god. Well, demigod, technically, but it¡¯s almost the same thing, y¡¯know? Wanna be my disciple?¡±
If Calvin had been any less delirious, any less ill, any less tired, if he¡¯d been even slightly confident that this wasn¡¯t a dream, perhaps he would have answered differently. Perhaps he would have let his well honed paranoia rule over him, wondering if the man was just broken in the head or this was some sort of a weird fetish he had, offering orphan kids weird, unbelievable kinds of offers and hopes, but¡
Calvin was just that right combo of delirious, tired, ill, and recklessly confident.
¡°Sure.¡±
¡that worked?
(??©n??;)
Honestly, Dominic was surprised it worked too. He was just starting off the conversation in a direct manner¡ªhe¡¯d expected mistrust from the kid, to have to prove it to him by healing him and doing some magical shenanigans, but well. If it worked, it worked.
¡°I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t regret this, kiddo.¡± As he spoke, Dominic let his Holy Power flow through his arms into the kid, fully healing whatever disease he had.
To his surprise, it was the same kind of plague that the villagers had, but that village was quite far for anyone who couldn¡¯t fly. Was this plague something mainstream in this world? It seemed far too virulent for that, considering how unbothered everyone else seemed. Well, he could look into that another time. Right now he had more important things to do.
Heal and bolster the kid¡¯s body fully, cure the malnutrition, bring him to his genetic peak, imbue any and all talents he could think of, remove the memory block¡ª
Huh? The kid has a memory block? Why does the kid have a memory block?
Dominic slipped the kid into slumber while he cautiously removed the memory block cautiously. Had it been placed for the kid¡¯s own good? Maybe he was some secret heir who remembered past lives or some great secrets that had to be sealed for his own safety, and the whole ¡®being a homeless orphan¡¯ was a trial set by his family?
Dominic had seen that particular trope happen live far too many times for him to believe in the concept of the world being sane. He would not be surprised if some secret ninja assassins popped out of the shadows and tried to end him on the spot. Or mage assassins, perhaps, that¡¯d be more fitting for this world based on the mana imbued on the roads and the fact that Rift Sealers was a thing.
No assassins of any sort appeared, and the kid¡¯s head didn¡¯t explode¡ªhe could heal the kid if that happened, alright, he wasn¡¯t being irresponsible!¡ªso clearly the memory seal had been malicious.
Dominic was tempted to scour through the kid¡¯s memories himself, but that would be far too invasive. He knew how much trust he¡¯d lose in the kid¡¯s eyes if he were to breach his privacy.
Now that Dominic had repaired and boosted everything about the kid, his robust physique revealed he wasn¡¯t a preteen, just malnourished.
Anyone below a few hundred thousand years was a kid in his eyes, but still. His new disciple wasn¡¯t a kid kid.
But the kid did need time to rest and let his new body acclimate itself, which meant talking to him would have to wait until he woke up.
¡°So, what now?¡± He¡¯d imagined his search for a disciple taking a little longer, and hadn¡¯t quite planned out what to do after.
Maybe you could rent a room at an inn? Mister Disciple could reveal what the memory block is about once he wakes up, Mister Dominic!
(*¡ä¨Œ`*)
Dominic nodded. ¡°Inns, of course. Good plan. So, what¡¯s the currency around here? Show me how a gold coin looks, and I¡¯ll create a few hundred thousand of those to use.¡±
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
M¡ªMaybe a few hundred thousand would be t¡ªtoo much¡ I think even the Nohl Royal Treasury only has a few hundred thousand gold coins¡ A few thousand should be plenty to spend!
(?©n?//)
¡°Hmm. Your currency system is broken. A royal treasury only having a few hundred thousand¡? That¡¯s just a sad state of affairs. Is Nohl a small kingdom, perhaps?¡±
Not at all, it is called an Empire for a reason! It is the dominant force on this continent, the most powerful human nation in the world!
(,,>©n<,,)
Dominic shook his head again and sighed. ¡°Primitive.¡±
(¨i©n¨i)
When Calvin woke up, it was in a soft bed.
A very, very soft bed. Straight out of his dreams.
He blinked, taking in his surroundings. He was in¡ an inn. Wooden ceiling, wooden floorboard, brightly smiling man¡ª
Memories began rushing in, starting from just before he fainted.
Kid, I¡¯m a god. Wanna be my disciple?
Based on how good his body felt¡ªand how different it felt¡ªthe man had done a lot more than healing him. Realistically, the man was just a very accomplished Rift Sealer with a god complex.
But the memory that truly stuck to him, that truly disturbed him, wasn¡¯t when a man claimed to be god and completely healed him on the spot.
It was the memory of a different, robed man¡ injecting a goddamn disease into him. An unnatural glowing thing, malicious and unmistakable.
Calvin hadn¡¯t fallen ill naturally. Someone deliberately spelled the plague into him, incapacitating him, leaving him to slowly wither and die a brutal death.
And then, they memory spelled him, sealing that memory away into the depths of his mind. If not for this healer, the memory would have died with Calvin believing only blind chance brought about his terrible death.
Calvin didn¡¯t know how to feel about this.
Rage?
Fear?
Despair?
Rage that his life had been so worthless, that any mage could just experiment with him and no one would ever find out? Fear that he did not have the strength to protect himself, make worth for himself? Despair that he had no way to grow¡ª
Calvin¡¯s head snapped towards the smiling man with an audible click.
He did have a way to make himself stronger. A way that had been offered to him out of nowhere, an offer he had no idea why the man would ever make to him, of all people.
Perhaps he needed someone to fatten up like a lamb before slaughter, so he healed him and trained him and¡ª
Oh, who was he kidding, the man had no reason to trick him and call him a disciple if that was truly the case. He could¡¯ve openly said he wanted to sacrifice Calvin, and Calvin would have still taken the chance. At least then he¡¯d die being of use to someone, die healthy and not withering away in some random alleyway.
The man kept smiling, staring at Calvin without blinking, clearly waiting for Calvin to speak first.
The man¡¯s gaze made Calvin uncomfortable, made him want to break away, look at anywhere else but at the man, but¡ Calvin was stubborn. He wouldn¡¯t break this staring contest first.
And so they stared at each other for a solid minute.
But, in the end, it was Calvin who finally broke the silence, hesitantly. ¡°So¡ you¡¯re claiming to be a god?¡±
¡°Demigod.¡± The man corrected. ¡°I know it¡¯s rather unbelievable, even with me healing you. Any amazingly skilled Rift Sealer could heal you. Potions exist in this world too, after all.¡±
¡°Demigod is still unbelievable, yes, even after the healing.¡±
The man stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Then, what could I do to prove that I¡¯m indeed a demigod and not just pranking you¡? Hm, maybe I could change the weather¡? No, that won¡¯t be amazing enough¡ Aha!¡± The man¡¯s eyes shone with sudden excitement, ¡°I can pause time!¡±
Calvin blinked. ¡°You can what, now?¡±
¡°Well, not the time of the entire universe,¡± Dominic clarified. That¡¯d be ludicrous, even for him. ¡°But for this world, sure!¡±
He could momentarily stop a world¡¯s orbit and its time, but the entire universes¡¯ and its providence, fate, destiny, all those fiddly tangled things? Yeah, no. He wasn¡¯t the Mythical Time God!
His disciple just stared at him blankly.
¡°Is that insufficient?¡± Dominic would normally offer to do something more dramatic, like destroying a part of the world, maybe draining the seas, perhaps passing some divine oracle, but he was here for good karma, after all. He would like to avoid anything too negative unless absolutely necessary.
¡°N¡ªNo,¡± his disciple stuttered out, his face surprisingly pale. ¡°Can you really stop time? Can you do it¡ now? Right now?¡±
¡°Right now, right here,¡± Dominic stated and smiled, clicking his left thumb and index finger.
And the world froze.
It was an eerie sensation, to feel time freeze.
Time was such an integral component of the world, such an integral component of human perception, such a constant factor, but it had been ever present. Only now, with time fully stopped, did Calvin realize what kind of a void time previously filled.
He could still see.
He could still hear the demigod¡¯s words, as distant as they were.
He could still move. When he stood up, it was without resistance, and he walked to the window of their room with ease.
But something felt fundamentally wrong. Broken. Missing.
His body was screaming at him, telling him to stop paying attention to what he was currently perceiving, to not understand any more of what time meant, of what time actually did, of the role time played¡ª
It knew that some knowledge was taboo.
Calvin stared at the scenery outside the window with muted fascination. Everyone was frozen. Vendors, pedestrians, even objects in midair such as leaves or that one child¡¯s balloon.
¡°Shall I unpause time?¡± A muted voice asked, far, far away, belonging to a being truly out of his reach.
¡°Sure.¡± Calvin replied, not even fully processing what left his mouth till it had.
The click that echoed behind him was overwhelmingly loud, surrounding him, wrapping around his every sense¡ªand then, everything was right again.
As though he¡¯d been drowning in quicksand without realizing it, and now finally been pulled back out to safety.
The pedestrians and people finally continued to move. The balloon flew away into the air, permanently lost. The leaves fell to the floor, blown into the capital from god knows where.
¡°Does this prove I¡¯m more than a Rift Sealer, kiddo?¡±
Calvin turned back to him and murmured, ¡°Y¡ªYes.¡± How should he address the man? This was a god, after all. Would a respectful term like ¡®sir¡¯ or ¡®master¡¯ even come close? Maybe ¡®Your Holiness¡¯? Or ¡®Revered God¡¯?
¡°You don¡¯t have to be too formal with me,¡± the man said, smiling softly. ¡°You can either call me master, or by my name. Which is Dominic, by the way. What¡¯s yours?¡±
¡°Calvin.¡±
The man¡ªno, Dominic¡ªnodded, his smile growing larger, ¡°Calvin¡ Calvin. Good name. Now, then, kiddo, I did notice something peculiar when I was healing you. You¡¯ve been memory spelled, but I removed the charm. Do you remember anything new? Perhaps something concerning? Would you like my help dealing with any of it?¡±