Upon opening the achievement silently, I almost cursed aloud at the benefit it was giving me: 50% better relationship with the indigenous races of other worlds. So, leaving aside the stupid thing that made me feel like I was Amerigo Vespucci discovering something that should’ve remain hidden from the rest of the world, I was shocked at how talkative this 3-meter Aphrodite was.

“Hmm… actually, with that rifle on her back, should it be Artemis?”

My pondering about stupid things stopped abruptly when she began throwing questions my way, faster than I could even process the answers for them.

[What about your world? What type of plants and trees do you have?](Anna)

“Well, all kinds. From plants used in agriculture to feed both us and the animals in our farms, to flowers that have no other purpose than being beautiful. For trees… well, there are many…”

[What about the animals? What sort of relationship did you build up with them?](Anna)

“Uhm…”

[And technology! Is your energy output related to the flora in your world?]

“Ugh…”

I began wondering if coal somehow qualifies as a positive answer. Nevertheless, based on her questions, their world is highly dependent on flora and fauna? I wanted to ask, but as soon as I met those emerald eyes of hers, so pure and inquisitive, I forgot instantly what I wanted to ask.

Really though, you would think that for someone with enough experience when dealing with the fairer sex, I would be capable of extorting information easily from her. However, with beauty that would put our own ‘Miss Universe’ to shame, I found myself in a pickle and could only look behind, to her left or right and even at the ground while answering some questions.

“How the hell does this make sense!? Who gets into a daze once looking at a woman!? I am legit scared to look into her eyes anymore!”

[Oh! Stop!!!](Anna)

With her sudden yell, I panicked and took a step back clutching my fist and directing mana towards the spear-ring on my finger.

“Did she decided to kill me after all?”

[I’m sorry! I got so excited that I forgot about the traps…](Anna)

Damn! Her guilty face looks so goddamn adorable…that I couldn’t find fault with her. Then, I finally processed what she just said.

“Traps!?”

[Mhm! Unfortunately for us, we aren’t the only inhabitants of this world and the relationship with the other party is quite… sour. That is why we had to deploy traps around the area surrounding our last fortress. You almost stepped over a poisoned wire over here. Look!](Anna)

She then proceeded to explain and point out a couple of other traps nearby. They were varying from pitfalls with spikes, to wires that could easily cut through stuff and were even poisoned, then something akin to bear traps that could probably skewer my entire body in one go and fields of over 10 square meters that could electrocute anyone stepping in their area. Moreover, those were just some of the examples.

While following in her footsteps exactly, I couldn’t help but ask about the weapon on her back. The scientific answer that I received lost me entirely. I couldn’t help but think about one thing however: railgun!

“Just how advanced is this race of hers? In addition, if they are so advanced, what’s the point of using poisoned wire against their ene… holy fuck! Did she just say this was their ‘last fortress’?”

“Anna, forgive me for asking something so insensitive and feel free not to answer if it’s something that you cannot disclose. What do you mean by the last fortress? You mean to tell me that inside that small fortress are the remnants of your entire race?”

I almost slapped myself at the sight of the pain flashing through her eyes, but I clenched my teeth and stood my ground. If I was to complete my quest, I need some information first. Their history is the most relevant piece I was in dire need of. Who knows, maybe they are murderers and I can use that to my advantage…

[It’s alright, don’t make that face.](Anna) – she giggled

“I am just curious, since that small place can probably hold only about a couple of thousands of your kind. Just what happened?”

[Couple of thousands? No… we are barely around one hundred left…](Anna)

I froze at the answer I received. Barely one hundred? And I was supposed to kill their remaining members? Fuck dammit! I don’t want to receive a stupid achievement that would say something like ‘the murderer of an entire race’. Even more so when one of their members was so beautiful.

“Well, at least I know why I am so biased…”

[Our race has always had a special connection with nature around us. Everything from the little bugs on the ground to the predators of the forests, from the grass to the trees around us. We could hear their voices and help with their needs. My race never once hunted in millennia worth of our history, since we didn’t have to. Fishes, deer, boar and many other small animals would give themselves up to us willingly once old and predators of the wild would bring to us tribute of their hunts. Smaller animals would bring us fruits and vegetables, while we ourselves would work the land and gain its bounty. In exchange, we would maintain the order of the world, cure sickness among both flora and fauna, help them extend their reach into new territories otherwise non friendly to them. We converted empty deserts to flourishing jungles and in time, learned to control the living energy of the world in order to transmute it into electricity. That, in turn, helped our civilization grow even more. Our race has a long lifespan and a low fertility rate but even then, we were still over two billions until 400 years ago… That’s when everything changed…](Anna)

Longer lifespan, good understanding of nature and acting as if its guardians, converting deserts to jungles… I could only think of druids and dyads I heard about in stories. But from her words, over two billions of such entities were reduced to a mere one hundred!? How?

[Roughly 400 years ago, our world was blessed with a new deity: Ahrka. She is a goddess of peace and has just as much love for nature that my race has. However, we were also discovered by others and deemed unworthy of participating in their ‘game’ as players. Therefore, they said that our world would become one of their ‘stages’. We did not know what it meant at that time and even if we did, there would be nothing we could do to stop it… Then, a new force began seeping through the cracks into our world. The same force I feel from you.](Anna)

“Mana…”

[So that’s what it’s called… We simply called it the ‘curse’. It had no effect on the women of our race however…](Anna)

She paused and signaled towards the walls of the fortress in front of us, which I didn’t even notice between the careful steps I had to take, as well as the story I was fully caught up in.

To think that her world was suddenly fucked up because of a whim of these… ‘gods’, like that. It’s absurd! Moreover, all in order to relieve their boredom? That’s not even on the level of genocide since their entire world is on the verge of annihilation.

The huge wooden doors opened with a loud creaking sound and permitted us entry. The sight stunned me…

[…the ones affected were the males. Just like a curse, it broke their wisdom and turned them into something less intelligent than even animals, acting only on their instincts. They attacked us with all they had, kidnaped and raped. The ones that would be born as man would be groomed to be just like them, while the women will be raised as sex slaves, as soon as they are able to bear children…](Anna)

I felt the blood in my veins freeze at the sight of maybe around one hundred girls, just as beautiful as Anna. Some of them had scars, slightly ruining their beauty, but giving them a valiant air… valiant air!? I felt like punching myself. Those scars were most likely acquired while fighting for their lives…

“And I have to kill them!? Why!? How does this makes any sense? They are struggling to stay alive… Moreover, there aren’t even one hundred. How can I complete the quest like that!?”

Soon, my thoughts were drowned by the inquisitive voices of the girls and was flooded by questions from different people, while Anna had a smile of pure happiness on her face.

“Who knows how long has it been since they were able to have someone of the opposite sex in their presence and be so relaxed about it? I wish they would stop poking me though…”