Chapter 6 - Future headaches.
alwaysunqualified
It has been 38 days since the twins were born, and we are on our way to the local church.
There, the head sister will examine them for their blessings. The specifics of these blessings are not entirely understood, but it's possible to discern the names the goddess has bestowed and to offer broad guidance. Some blessings, like "armor enhancement," are straightforward to interpret, while others, such as "this and that," are more ambiguous. Indeed, there was a blessing named "this or that," as recounted in one of Amelia's stories. The thirteenth wife of the Sun Emperor was graced with this blessing, which forced an adversary to choose between two options, such as "up or down," You can see how that could be broken in a fight.
Our visit was deyed due to the extensive preparations for New Year's celebrations in this world, an event taken very seriously and marked with significant festivities at year's end. The prompt examination of me and my twin upon our birth was an exception, necessitated by complications Amelia experienced during pregnancy.
I have visited this church several times before. Whenever my sisters reach a new level milestone, we come here to have their blessing assessed. My own blessing, as well as Yuno’s, were marked as question marks when checked at level 5. This is rare but it happens, usually the name appears when some criteria is met.
The milestones for growth are set at levels 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25. Even races such as elves, who mature over centuries, or pure angels, who take merely a few days, typically reach level 1 a few hours after birth. Achieving level 1 signifies the emergence of what is known as a divine spark, marking the loss of the Goddess of Life's protection. At this point, an individual is officially recognized as living and remains so until their divine spark extinguishes.
Upon reaching level 30, one ascends to tier 1, reaching adulthood. With every subsequent thirty levels, an individual advances to a higher tier.
At year's end, a figure akin to the pope heralds the New Year, announcing which goddess will preside over the coming year. This occasion draws nearly the entire city to a festival that sts three days and spans half the city. It is believed that during her year, the reigning goddess reaches the peak of her strength. I entered the world in the year of the goddess of love.
We approached the church, the city's most magnificent structure, extending over a mile in length. Its towering spires, reminiscent of skyscrapers, pierced the sky. The exterior was adorned with intricate carvings depicting stories from their scriptures, magically animated to retell these tales, visible to the entire city. The grand entrance featured a vast, eborately carved doorway, guarded by towering wooden doors adorned with exquisite woodwork, standing at least 60 feet tall.
Inside, vaulted ceilings stretched far above, graced with animated frescoes that seemed alive. At the heart of the space was a massive rune, encircled by giant statues of the 24 goddesses who govern this world. Each statue exuded a regal and divine aura, though the representation of the goddess of love bore no resembnce to her true likeness.
"Welcome, sister, how can we assist you today?" A nun steps forward to greet us. The only notable distinction in attire here, compared to Earth, is that their garments are more translucent. However, this characteristic is not unique to them; indeed, it seems all clothing here shares this trait, making their attire quite typical for this world.
"Hello, Sister Kali. We've brought more little ones," Amelia said, her voice warm and friendly as she greeted the familiar face.
"My, you two truly are blessed—a boy and two sets of twins," Sister Kali responded, her smile broad and genuine, delighted to see Amelia in good spirits.
In this world, boys are a rarity, with a ratio of about 1 in 25. Twins are even more uncommon, occurring roughly once in every 10,000 births. Furthermore, it's typical for a woman to spend 100 years to have just one child. These are the extraordinary odds Amelia and Miki are up against.
"However, it's deeply regrettable that we won't see any more children with the tragic loss of your husband," Sister Kali's tone shifted to one of concern, her previously bright demeanor now shaded with sorrow as she offered Amelia and Miki a sympathetic look.
…
Wait, what!
"Make sure you two come here immediately at any sign of hollowing," Kali urged, extending her arms to gently pce a hand on Amelia's shoulder, offering consotion.
"What's this about their husband?" I asked quickly, registering her previous statement.
"Hmm. You still have quite a few years ahead before marriage becomes a concern for you, little one." She paused mid-reach and turned to face me, giving me her full attention and a gentle smile.
She stood on her tiptoes to rub my head softly. "How about I ask one of the younger nuns to give you a tour? She's a bit more mature than you but I think you'll get along well."
I regretted not just sitting in the corner as I usually do. This is the reason I despise leaving the house. For context, I appear to be in my 20s, nearly the same age as before I arrived here, and I'm quite tall, just over six feet.
"Don't be upset, brother," Angelica said, hugging me from behind.
The sister returned with a girl hesitantly stepping out from behind her. "This is Sister Selen; she'll show you around. Go on, say hello Selen."
"H-hello," greeted a shy girl with short bck hair, her voice tinged with a noticeable stutter.
“Date starto!”
[A wholesome church date]
[Target - Selen]
‘I know I just compined about not being able to level on my st date, but can you stop giving me dates with kids? Or at least stop calling them dates?’ I question nobody in particur, venting more to the void than anyone specific.
"No," came an unexpected reply, quiet yet unmistakable, as it echoed within my head.
‘That was new. Hello, can you answer me?’ I attempted to communicate further, but no response followed despite several tries.
As time flowed again, the adults departed, leaving us by ourselves.
Forgive me sister for I have sinned.Nice to meet you. I'm Liev and these are my sisters.
'Was the first one really necessary?' This time, my compint was directed at the Stupid goddess, convinced it was her fault. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Liev, and these are my sisters."
“Ni-nice to mee-meet you,” she stammered, her gaze darting across our group, uncertain where to rest her eyes.
From atop my head, Alice emerged, rubbing her eyes. Seeing a new girl, she instantly activated her favorite skill.
“This is Alice” I set her up.
“So cute!” Her eyes snapped to Alice, and she let out a bright smile.
[+7 Selen Affection points]
You're cute too.Why don't you start by telling us about the goddesses?What's it like being a nun?
“Why don't you start by telling us about the goddesses?” I asked, my understanding was superficial, and the allusions to them tended to be indirect, suggesting the expectation of pre-existing knowledge among readers.
Redirecting her attention from Alice to me, she seemed to grow nervous again. "Y-yes," she managed, taking a deep breath before her voice found a practiced ease.
"Before the era of sentient beings, the world was engulfed in chaos. From this primordial disorder, the Goddess of Creation and Destruction emerged. The Goddess of Creation would bring forth new existences, only for the Goddess of Destruction to obliterate them. Although ephemeral, these cycles of creation and destruction paved the way for life itself. Through this continuous cycle, the Goddess of Life and Death came into being." As she narrated, the surrounding imagery shifted, illustrating the tale. Landscapes were born and then demolished, each cycle birthing more life in various simple forms.
"The Goddess of Life, wishing for life to flourish, attempted to halt the destructive cycle but to no avail. Left with no other option, she allied with the Goddess of Creation, who in exchange, allowed her to evolve life." With this alliance, life began to assume more complex forms.
"However, their triumph was fleeting. The Goddess of Death allied with the goddess of Destruction, aiming to eradicate the burgeoning life. As life spans extended, the Goddess of Health emerged, determined to shield life from harm. Yet, her efforts were challenged by her counterpart, the Goddess of Disease, who ravaged the nds in pgues, bringing an end to the eternal lives." Now life would continue unless stopped by an outside force.
"Eventually, the Goddesses reached an accord. Though the agreement left all parties dissatisfied, it established a bance, enabling the races to flourish and evolve. This era of prosperity heralded the age of the Goddesses. The Goddesses of Love and Independence were born as families united and individuals ventured solo. Following them were the Goddesses of the Material and Immaterial, reflecting the races' development in body and soul. The Goddesses of Mind and Instinct arose as the races became more intelligent yet remained bound to their primal nature." The depicted creatures evolved into recognizable forms, establishing tribes that gradually expanded.
"This intellectual advancement led to the emergence of the Goddesses of Majesty and Theft, followed by the Goddesses of Truth and Deceit.” Conflicts and expansions ensued.
"The rise of leaders utilizing the Goddesses' gifts marked a new era. These leaders united their people, building grand cities. It is said that during this period, the rest of the Goddesses emerged: Magic, The Void, Justice, Imbance, Fortune, Misfortune, Domination, and Submission, collectively known as the Goddesses of progress." The tribes depicted transformed into a magnificent city, rivaling those of my own world.
"With each new generation of Goddesses, they convened to set the rules of their influence, invariably parting in anger. Yet, the 24 Goddesses maintain a perfect equilibrium, ensuring our prosperity under their vigint gaze, ready to punish any who dare disrupt the bance." The visual narrative concluded with a beam of light illuminating the 24 statues encircling us.
The presentation was captivating, akin to a 3D show at an amusement park, yet it left me with a lot of questions. "When was the st pair of goddesses born?"
"Our records indicate it was 4.6 billion years ago. Sadly, no one from that era remains to confirm," she replied, her tone suggesting an expectation that perhaps someone should have survived that long. The idea of living for billions of years seemed unfathomable to me.
My curiosity led me to another question: "Do they really smite people?" The sudden attention from the girls around me indicated the strangeness of the inquiry. The tales of divine retribution were akin to those found in the bible, which I had always regarded as mere stories.
"Indeed, less than 2000 years ago, a man grew so powerful that he believed himself above all. He procimed that all children should be surrendered to him for experiments aimed at circumventing our divine spark. Before he could even complete his decration, he simply vanished from existence," the nun answered. The reality of such power was unnerving.
What kinds of things can cause you to get smitten?Just how powerful are the gods?What tier was he?
My curiosity was piqued by all three topics, but only the first one could get me killed. Thus, I chose to inquire about it.
"When the Goddesses convened, they id down the fundamental ws of our world. To contravene these ws is to directly oppose the will of the Goddesses themselves," she expined, making an effort to convey her message without seeming condescending.
"Could you provide some examples?" I asked. The nun appeared visibly unsettled by my question, a contrast to my sisters who were accustomed to my unconventional questions.
"Ce-certainly, well, for example... um, when expanding a town, we must ensure that we're not encroaching on new life. Or, there was this woman 10,000 years ago who believed she had devised a foolproof method for creating an unfair contract. And then there was the man who thought he could cim another man's wife after absorbing the man's body, mind and soul," she stammered, her composure faltering as she ventured beyond her rehearsed responses.
‘My sisters seem to know all these things you must not do, even Alice did. Is this one of those things you just know here?’ I wonder. I perpetually feel like I'm on the outside looking in. ‘Could that stupid goddess at least not do a half ass job if she is going to have me stuck here.’
Noticing my pause and perhaps interpreting it as an end to my probing questions, the sister exhaled a sigh of relief. I had more inquiries, but her apparent distress made me hold back, fearing she might faint if I pressed further.
[+15 Selen Affection points]
“Now that that's out of the way let's go explore more of this pce, it is huge.” Sakura seems to be more interested in getting the y of the nd, than in the goddesses looking down on us. She had reframed from wondering in the past, instead staying off to the side to keep me company, which meant she never had the chance to explore.
Our exploration was guided by Selen. She almost had a heart attack when Sakura attempted to scale one of the goddess statues, only to be promptly deterred by Angelica's barrier.
My attention was mostly captivated by the animated paintings. From a distance, they hadn't seemed particurly remarkable, especially to someone accustomed to the dynamism of television. However, observing them up close was a completely different experience. The way the paint danced and transformed, altering shapes and hues, was mesmerizing. I found myself smiling, a bit amused at my previous hesitation. 'There truly are countless mysteries here; I ought to dedicate more time to simply experiencing them.'
Sakura's sudden leap onto me snapped me out of my reverie. It seemed Yuno had decided to let her past this time; with Yuno, it often felt like flipping a coin. "Brother, Angelica won't let me have any fun!"
"That's because you'll end up breaking something," Angelica retorted, unamused by her antics.
"Boo, I'm not that bad!" Sakura responded, sticking her tongue out at her.
"Do I need to start listing examples, Sakura?" Angelica shot back, unfazed.
"Let's head over there, brother," Sakura diverted, her enthusiasm undimmed. "I saw this amazing painting of a guy with a giant sword defeating a titan as big as a skyscraper. You're going to love it." Angelica, allowed the topic to shift.
"Would you like to hear the tale of Ragnar, the titan syer?" our guide Selen offered, keeping a wary eye on Sakura.
"Sure," I said, letting Sakura pull me along as Selen narrated the legends behind each painting. Many were fascinating, though it was amusing to note that even in tales thousands of years old, the challenge of having adequate clothing persisted. Nonetheless, Ragnar, with his towering sword, fmes for hair, and muscles that would intimidate any bodybuilder, was undeniably badass.
As we lost ourselves in the stories and art, time slipped away unnoticed. Before long, it was time for us to depart.
‘Looks like I won't be leveling today.’ Just as I resigned myself to not leveling up today, a memory fshed through my mind. When I first accessed the store, there were several one-time purchase items for beginners. Among them was 'Perfect gift - It's better than a pair of socks. Discimer: only works for those below tier 1.'
I hesitated, contempting whether buying it would py into the stupid goddess's pns. Was it worth enduring another year of being treated like a child?
After a brief moment of indecision, I decided to go ahead and purchase the gift for 1 love point. It had a question mark on the value section.
"Here, this is to thank you for being such an excellent guide," I said, presenting her with a box wrapped like a Christmas gift. She seemed surprised but accepted it graciously.
As she unveiled the contents, handcuffs, ropes, a whip, and a book greeted her, its cover graced by a man, bound yet faceless. Before the reality of it could sink in, she csped the gift close, her cheeks afme, and hurried away.
I can't believe I was even second guessing myself. Fuck that goddess!
[+200 Selen Affection points]
…
“Let's just go home,” I said defeated.
[Date end]
[Achievements - none - try harder next time.]
Upon revealing Selen's card, I was taken aback. The years had added maturity to her appearance, and she donned a nun's attire that, though less transparent, was far more revealing. Her gaze was cast downward, imbuing a sense of disdain upon the viewer, while a whip arced behind her, poised as though it could sh out at any moment.
Spoiler
[colpse]
[Card]
[Name: Sister Selen
Level: 18
Affection: 222
Trait:
Goddess: The Goddess of Domination.
Primary Blessing: Inflict Pain tier 1
Lesser Blessings: Whip Mastery tier 1, Punish Sinner tier 1, ??? tier 1]
[Inflict Pain - Cause pain to another sentient being.]
[Whip Mastery - Master of the whip.]
[Punish Sinner - Inflict a fitting punishment on those who go against the Goddesses wishes.]
Her appearance belied the meek and reserved nun who had fled. It's a testament to the truth that appearances can be deceiving. Yet, given her Blessings, it seems it was inevitable.
“You know what fuck all the goddesses.” I was sure I would hate them all if I met them.
[Liev Ekker - Level 6
Goddess points: 10,000
Love points: 30,097
Stat points: 6
Luck: 1 Charm: 2 Social: 1 Observe: 1
Skills - None
Achievements - 12
Achievements_Alice - 1
Cards: 1_Yuno - 1622, 2_Sakura - 301, 3_Angelica - 311, 4_Alice 343, 5_Cire - 146, 6_Selen - 223]
