“It’s been rough, hasn’t it?”

As I heard those words, all the things I’ve neglected up to now became clear.

My loneliness and distraught were cancelled out by my desire to live all this time. In this complete mystery of a world, I found my way to survive without relying on a single soul.

Now that I have found a higher place, a bigger person, a shoulder to lean on… my heart let out a sigh of relief and the tears that were dormant from deep within me abundantly overflow.

It had already been a few months of being here yet not a day goes by that I do not miss the people; the family that I’ve left behind.

After a long time of crying, I had finally mellowed down-

“Is that enough for you Lan?” [Hosea]

“ngh~ L-Lan?” [Lan]

“I figured I’d call you Lan since Lantern is too much of a hassle. Is there a problem?” [Hosea]

“N-not really… Lan… that’s what they call me at home… it’s fine” [Lan]

“Is that so? Back at the surface huh? Then that’s fine” [Hosea]

“Y-yes…” [Lan]

“Now Lan, why don’t we talk?” [Hosea]

After my breakdown, we finally had a real conversation.

She didn’t talk about the Avatars or whatever since she already put the information inside my brain but she did say-

“We humans only use about 10% of out brain’s capacity. The seed I planted inside you breaks the limits that our genes have set” [Hosea]

So she said. What she gave me was transcendence yet she gave it to me like it was nothing.

She also said that she’s not from around here.

Apparently, she has the ability to traverse space…

Yes, after a while since I met her I already let go of my common sense since if I did, I’d keep denying her claims; along with her existence.

This place is called the Underworld. She deprived me of a lot of information since she said it would be interesting…

This woman… this is a matter of life and death, you know…

She also said that this is the deepest part of purgatory and as well as its’ heart. Time doesn’t flow here, for the residents at least. It seems that foreign beings like me and Hosea still carry the concept of time but at a really slow pace. It was never proven how slow time was flowing since not many people could come here.

“Lan” [Hosea]

“Yes?” [Lan]

“Do you know what this place is?” [Hosea]

“This place? You mean purgatory?” [Lan]

“So that’s what they call this place huh… they probably used that name to hide the truth about this place” [Hosea]

“Pardon?” [Lan]

“This place isn’t a bridge to heaven or hell, this place is a cage” [Hosea]

“A cage? For what?” [Lan]

“For- ah… nah, figure that out yourself. Spoon feeding you with answers won’t help you grow. Just imagine that this place is one gigantic training course that you absolutely have to pass” [Hosea]

“…Yeah… staying alive and getting out is my topmost priority” [Lan]

“Good” [Hosea]

“A-anyway” [Lan]

“Hmm?” [Hosea]

“Hosea, I feel kind of bad since I’ve been the only one asking questions…” [Lan]

“That’s true… I do have some questions for you” [Hosea]

“I’ll answer if I can” [Lan]

“Then… are you married?” [Hosea]

“Pftguh?! W-w-w-w-wh- of course not!” [Lan]

“Heh~ how come? Men of your age probably have 2 or 3 kids already” [Hosea]

“I’m only 21!” [Lan]

“Exactly, you’re already 21” [Hosea]

“W-well, us lowbloods don’t really have the luxury to worry about love…” [Lan]

“Lowbloods?” [Hosea]

“Hmmm? Do you not know what bloods are Hosea?” [Lan]

“Enlighten me” [Hosea]

“Ah, yes. In our country, there’s a hierarchy composed of royals, nobles, highbloods or demibloods, midbloods and lowbloods. These titles are measured by the family’s contributions or their military power; the vessel count inside that family or the ranks they have” [Lan]

“Hooo~ how arrogant… those sons of b*tches created a system like that huh” [Hosea]

“…” [Lan]

“Normally, since I’m sort of like a wandering god-” [Hosea]

“G-god…?” [Lan]

“I’d settle those problems, specially, if I don’t like the idea” [Hosea]

“I-it’s a problem?” [Lan]

“Of course, humans shouldn’t be divided like that. Their treatment to one another is based on those titles, aren’t they? They’re no better than an animal feeding off the food chain” [Hosea]

“…” [Lan]

I never saw it like that before. I merely accepted the fact that it was like this from the beginning…

“It’s a problem but-“ [Hosea]

“?” [Lan]

“You’ll be the one solving it Lan” [Hosea]

“Hmmmmm…?” [Lan]

That definitely caught me off guard. ME?! DESTROY THE SYSTEM AND CREATE A NEW ONE?! ME?! A LOWBLOOD, NO LESS!

Wait…

Why did I get the idea that I’d have to destroy the present system and create a new one? Am I really considering this?

I mean… this woman’s been talking about time, and avatars, and traveling through space but me… changing society?!

“As my cute little junior Avatar of Greed, that’s the first task I bestow upon you” [Hosea]

“EH?!” [Lan]

Then with all seriousness-

“You’ll be fine Lan… I’ll be watching” [Hosea]

…it seems that I cannot refuse even if I don’t want to do it.

“…Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll change the world if I have to” [Lan]

In that case, I’ll have to ride the waves rather than go against the current.

“That’s the spirit Lan! Now-“ [Hosea]

She then unveiled her shoulder then an owl formed out of her skin

“WHA?!” [Lan]

“This baby’s gonna be watching you from now on. She won’t exactly be with you but before you accidentally kill her for lunch, I’ll be the one skinning you when you do” [Hosea]

“YES MA’AM” [Lan]

“And now, I’ll be taking my leave” [Hosea]

E-eh? I thought we’d travel together since we were the only people here so far…

“Don’t make that face, you’ll find companions of your own. Having a god by your side is the ultimate cheat and that means it won’t make you any stronger. Got it?” [Hosea]

“A-ah, yeah… I get what your trying to say…” [Lan]

“Then-“ [Hosea]

“Wait…” [Lan]

“What?” [Hosea]

“About these dead…elves…” [Lan]

“Dea- oh, nah I didn’t kill them… I’ll be taking them with me though” [Hosea]

“R-really?! Thank goodness…” [Lan]

As I let out a sigh of relief, I felt a soft sensation in my lips and when I opened my eyes…

I was dumbfounded…

Who wouldn’t be?

That’s how I got my first kiss taken by a goddess.