Chapter 4: Farenna

[You have regressed successfully. Checking vital status…]

So noisy… Did I regress again? Just how many times was it now? 70? 80? No, it was definitely more than that.

[Vital check in progress. New aspects found. Continuing on checking…]

A lot of noises popped up in my head at the same time and it was so dizzy as hell. I barely held into my breath, trying not to lose consciousness.

"Ugh…", I grunted, while trying to slowly raise my body, but my whole body was so stiff like a rock. It was like something big was placed on top of me.

[Vital check complete. All green. Requesting permission to check your parameters…"

The noises became clearer as time went on and it was completely different from the usual but I couldn't care less.

"Ah, yes… Why is it so hot? Wait… Was it always this dark before?"

[Permission granted. Checking your parameters…]

I tried to open my eyes since it was so dark. I thought my eyes were closed. Then I reached my hand to touch my eyes…

"Argh…! It hurts!", I screamed due to the contact between two things that were possibly my index finger and my bare right eyeball. "Were my eyes wide open the whole time?"

I definitely lost my senses. It was just so dark to the point I could not even tell whether my eyes were open or not. That was how confusing the situation was. It also felt so damp and cramped without much room to move around and my body barely fitted into the room.

"Where is this place?", my voice echoed a little bit.

I turned my head in hope to get more vision of my surroundings, but it ended in failure. No matter how much I tried, I still could not grasp the situation I was in.

[Parameters check complete. You have acquired new skills. Do you wish to see your status now?]

Another message popped up. It was so strange. Was I inside a game the whole time? If not, was regressing always like this? What made it stranger, was the voice always there before?

"... Yes, please.", I replied to the voice hesitantly and a young girl's voice came out from my mouth… Wait a minute, what? A young girl's voice?

Without any time to collect my thoughts, a game-like panel popped up inside my head suddenly. I was sure that I was not inside a game, but this happening made me unsure. This was how it looked.

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           {{{ Status }}}

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Name   : Farenna

Gender : Female

Age      : 8 y.o

Race    : Lv. 1 ???

Status  : Sealed

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Sync. Rate: 0.01%

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HP  : 200        MP: 100

SP  : 70

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STR: 10         LUK: 5

AGI : 15         DEX: 10

INT : 12         VIT  : 20

Unallocated pts: 0

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Equipments:

· Headgear : None

· Armor       : None

· Torso        : None

· Feet         : None

· Misc.        : Sealing Chains of Hell (EX)

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Skills:

· Appraisal (Lv. 1)

· Devour (EX)

· Bona Dea (Unique)

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Blessings:

· Blessing of Purity & Chastity

· Blessing of Growth (Inherited)

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Curses: None

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Titles:

· Regressor

· Goddess' Apostle

· Rotten to the Bone

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…

Huh?

…

Huh??

…

Huuuuuhh?!

"8 years old?! Female?! Me?! What the fuck is this?!", I panicked. I mean who wouldn't? When faced with this kind of disgustingly surreal shit? Even an extremely apathetic person would panic.

"Wait. Let's collect my thoughts. Take a deep breath, don't panic, me."

I inhaled as deep as I could and let my breath out slowly. I repeated that 5 times in a row.

"Okay… Let's sort things out first…"

I tried to recall what had been happening until now. My last regression ended when I chose to die like a f… Like a man. Then I met old man Janus and Goddess Bona Dea.

"What happened after that?", I asked myself.

My memories right after meeting Goddess Bona Dea were blurry and it did not take long for my head to get another dizziness.

[Requesting permission to assist… Do you agree?]

"Eh…?!", I gasped.

The voice in my head came back when I was still lost in thoughts. It was so sudden I almost jumped, if I could though.

"Who are you? What are you doing inside my head? Why am I a female? Where is this place?", I gunned the voice with a barrage of questions.

[... Requesting permission to assist… Do you agree?]

"Hey, stop talking like that and just answer my questions! Who are you?"

[REQUESTING PERMISSION TO ASSIST… Do you agree?]

The voice actually got louder to the point it almost hurt my ears. How could a voice inside my head be that loud?

"Did you just get mad at me?"

[...]

No reply.

"At least you have emotions, don't you?", I asked again.

[...]

Another silence.

"Alright. I agree."

[Agreement accepted. Preparing a persona: Bona Dea.]

The voice replied as quickly as it could. It sounded a little bit happy somehow.

Hmm?

"Did you just say Bona Dea? The Goddess one?"

[It is unnecessary to ask whether I am the real one or not. My persona is indeed based on Goddess Bona Dea. I am also stationed inside your parameter. That is all.]

Its voice was too similar to the real one even though it sounded more platonic, yet it still gave me heavy goosebumps. I never expected to hear her voice again right after regressing.

"Will you answer if I ask you some questions?"

[It depends on the questions.]

It replied coldly. Well, at least it had the will to answer.

"Where is this place? Why is it so dark?", I dared myself to ask.

[This is the Abyss. As to why it is so dark, you are currently buried inside the floor.]

Damn. So that was why I could not raise my body.

"Ugh… It's so hot!", I tried digging upwards but these little hands of mine could not handle the heat. I could feel my skin start to blister all over. It was as if I was digging into a burning rock.

"Why did I end up like this?", I sighed.

[You were dropped from the Divine Realm after Goddess Bona Dea's Incarnation swallowed you.]

The answer it gave explained everything. A huge amount of information popped up inside my brain instantly. I recalled everything, at least until the moment right before I got swallowed. Slowly, a feeling of guilt crawled back to my heart.

"I made her mad, huh?", I sobbed. "Man, this sucks…"

I felt so terrible. All the negative emotions in my heart that I had felt before resurfaced. I placed my hand on top of my forehead.

"She abandoned me… Haha…"

[Instead of just lamenting over something that has happened, you should search for a way to get out of this place.]

The voice spoke again when I was drowning in my own emotions.

"Why do you sound so concerned? You're just nothing but a persona! Not the real thing!"

I vented my anger and frustration towards it. I knew it, it was wrong. It didn't deserve to be treated that way. But I couldn't hold the urge to shout at it.

[Did you not remember what she said right before she swallowed you?]

"Everything's over now. Shut up. I don't wanna hear you."

I cried silently, while also sobbing sometimes. I didn't know if it was the effect of being trapped inside a child's body, but one thing for sure was that my feelings were so labile, so easy to crumble.

[Goddess Bona Dea did not abandon you.]

I opened my eyes a little after hearing that.

"What do you mean by that? Are you sure she didn't abandon me?"

[It is impossible for a Deity to abandon its Apostle. That is the fact.]

"I can't believe you. Why would you know that?"

[It is also the reason why most Gods did not elect their Apostles since they will be robbed of their freedom.]

"What…?", my eyes widened. "Is that the truth?"

[Yes, it is the truth. They will also be stripped out of their position if they are to defy this law.]

"... What will happen if a God is stripped out of his position?"

[They perish into nothingness.]

A very simple and short answer. I did not expect to hear something like this since that was surely not an answer a human should know of.

[Indeed. It is a classified answer known only by Deities.]

"..."

I could not respond to it. If it was that classified, why would you answer me? Was really qualified to hear this? A lot of questions popped up inside my head, but I could not being myself to open my mouth.

"Why do you know all of these? Who are you actually?", those 2 questions were the only ones came out from my mouth.

[As to why I know all these, Goddess Bona Dea personally engraved me into your soul. That is the reason why I am also named Bona Dea.]

I did not know why but I felt so relieved after hearing that.

"Hmph... Okay then, let's just say I believe you.", I sniffed a little bit. After gathering the resolve needed, I opened my mouth once again. "Explain everything."

[Understood.]

The voice paused for a moment.

[Let us start with your name, Farenna.]

"Why is my name Farenna? Does it have any special meaning?"

As far as I knew, I had always been named Fayre. At least until my last regression. So changing my name felt a little bit off for me.

[It does.]

The voice answered almost immediately.

"I'm listening."

[You used to be a man.]

"And then?"

[You are now a girl.]

"..."

[Thus, your name is Farenna.]

"Is that all?"

[Yes.]

"..."

[Let us mo—]

"Are you fucking with me now?!"

I snapped.