Homunculus begins her journey

One day Polemos came through the door with a force that sent the door flying. She came to the inn shouting "I demand we battle!"

Meanwhile Jes was there stunned for a moment. When he gained his composure, he said "No."

Polemos then said in a whiny tone of voice "Why not?" Jes answered "I don't see why we should battle. You know that I can literally delete you from existence if I so choose. Both in the literal meaning of the word and the way that people associate that word."

Polemos whines "But you battled sis so it's only fair you battle me now instead. You just have to fight me normally without your overpowered skill. If you only fight my sis then you are being unfair." Jes gives a sigh and says "Still, that doesn't give me a reason to actually fight you. The only reason why I fought Dikaio is because she threatened my current living arrangement."

Polemos then has an idea and says "Then I will do the same." jes sighs again and says "You know what, I think that guy known as Satan had a point once. He once told me, and I quote, "Fuck them bitches. Homies are where it's at."" Polemos responds by saying "I don't know who that Satan guy is but you did fuck me even though I aren't a bitch."

Jes gives one last sigh and says "That wasn't… God damn it… You know what, I'm not going to argue with you. You might be skilled in fighting and commanding armies, but you fall short when it comes to communicating with others. Fine, let's go to a discreet location and have a duel there."

Polemos then says with a smug look on her face "Yes! Victory." Jes then mutters "I really should have said homies at the time like this. Damn I miss the guy." then he says to Iloton "Iloton, I will be out for a while. Keep the inn running while I'm out." Iloton says "Leave it to Iloton."

Then Jes teleports him and Polemos on an uninhabited island far away and says "This should do it for now." Polemos then stretches for a moment and when she is done, she readies her sword and then says "Ready when you are."

And then a week-long battle ensued. While they were battling, Diane, Rilli and Elision came to visit the inn. They asked, "Where Jes is." To which Iloton would answer with "Jes left to battle with the woman he once slept with." All of them were stunned after hearing this. Elision denied hearing anything and asked Iloton to repeat what she said and Iloton would do just that. All except Rilli left confused in the end.

When the battle was finally done and Polemos was satisfied, Jes returned to his inn. He asked Iloton "Did anything happen while I was gone?" To which she answers "We received four customers during your absence. One was Rilli, one was Bellus and two were a pair of necromancers named Harry and Lei."

Jes asked "Did you treat all of them as customers?" Iloton says "Iloton knows that a customer is a customer. So everyone got a room to stay the night." Jes responds "Good girl. How about the food?"

Iloton smiles and says "Iloton did her best. All of them said it was so good that they couldn't eat multiple bites. Iloton didn't know food can do that." Jes says "Well… That is a secret most mortals did not know." Iloton says "Iloton knew it. Now give me praise and offerings." Jes does so.

Later that month, an adventurer came to look for a room after a battle with a lich. Jes figured that one of the necromancers were in the process of becoming a lich and that's who was slain.

After a while, a man named Lei came to get a room and Jes gave it gladly. He told Lei that "Perhaps lichdom isn't the only way for a longer life." Lei took those words to heart and went to bed.

In a secret laboratory, a person was inside a tube. Her creator was searching for a way to mirror gods' power and create life by his own hand. He was creating a homunculus.

His research assistant was looking for something far greater. He wanted to perfect this method and create an army for the highest bidder. The creator was unaware of this for a long time and let his assistant continue working on the homunculi.

In this world, creating artificial life is considered a taboo practice in many ways. Gods themself haven't declared it a crime, but since it is considered impossible to give a complicated machine a soul, this practice is heavily looked down upon in many aspects.

Yet the creator of this homunculi was only searching for validation of his efforts and gave these feelings onto his creation. The homunculus wasn't awake yet, but she could feel these feelings coming through her.

Of course the creator was not simply looking for a way to copy a human being. He was aiming to create something better. Human mages can reach high power, but no human could ever wish to top a high elf mage. This homunculus would have much higher adaptability to magic and have a wide range in terms of learning and observing. His creation would be able to top the high elf mages in due time.

This homunculus also had a physical advantage compared to humans. Like beastbloods who can harness their inner strength much more effectively and have a higher physical reach, this homunculus could also become a warrior of high caliber.

"She has the ability to reach the power of tier 10 or even higher" Was the creators wish, but while his assistant agreed on the fact that they would create perfect soldiers, the cost was far too much for them to practically mass produce them. For all the costs, the philosophers stone, a magical stone that allows its user to reach the height of stars if the mind can handle it, was the most difficult thing to procure. The assistant knew that there was a way to create these stones artificially, but their effect would be much weaker by comparison to the real thing.

While the homunculus was reaching its perfection, the assistant decided to try and convince the creator to cooperate with him in his plans. The creator adamantly refused, saying "This is my life's work. I only seek the acknowledgement of gods for my creation, no, my child. Trying to do anything else is lunacy I tell you. What you seek is a meager indulgence of mortal greed. I thought that you were more than that, but it appears I was wrong. Leave."

The assistant was furious that the creator would ridicule his wish. So he decided to steal whatever papers he could and burn the rest down.

After the assistant succeeded in stealing the work of the fragile creator, the creator was only hoping to save his creation. It wasn't fully complete, but he had to rescue her before she was burned down along with his laboratory.

He opened the tube that the homunculus was in and took off the pipes that were giving resources to her. The creator tried to carry her as far as he could, but he was too weak. It was his assistant responsibility to take care of the heavy stuff, but he was no longer there. He collapsed along with his creation and he could no longer move.

When he woke up, he was lying on the lap of a naked woman. His creation. The creator noticed that he was bleeding heavily and that the homunculus tried her best to stop the bleeding. She said with a gentle words "Greetings creator." The creator smiled and said "I'm so glad to see that you are fine." He coughed some blood and went silent.

The homunculus asked "What do you want me to do?" The creator said "I… I wish for you to show your existence to the world and make the gods look at you in awe. I want them to say "So this is what mortals are capable of" and give a nod of approval." The homunculus asks her last question "Do I have a soul?" And with the last breaths of the creator comes "I believe you do, my child." And dies.

The homunculus was now alone. She remembered hearing the argument between the creator and the assistant, so she had a person to track. As for what she will do when she finds the assistant, she does not yet know. The homunculus took some jacket of her creator and then began her journey.

A month later while surviving in the wild, she ran across a settlement of humans. She did not know how they would react after seeing her. She was a human that had a white long hair and silvery eyes. She did not know more than the little knowledge her creator left for her. She was initially going to have much more information on her, but since the process was incomplete, her knowledge was limited in many ways. She was truly a blank slate.

She then saw a house that was on the road to the settlement. She decided to head in to ask some questions. When she got in, a man with a black hair and violet eyes stopped his reading and said "Greetings customer. It would appear that you are in a pinch. Allow me to get you back on your feet, my silvery eyed customer."

The homunculus was surprised and backed off a little, but then she had the courage to speak the words "Would you really be willing to help me? Is it a common practice to help a complete enigma?" The man put his hand on his chin and wondered out loud "I wonder if that's that's the case. What do you think Iloton?"

The homunculus looked at the other person who was emanating a presence in that place and she saw a girl with long black hair and violet eyes. "Was this a relative of that man?" She wondered in her head. Then the girl named Iloton spoke "Iloton thinks that it is not normal. Iloton understands that it is the act of good to help those in need, but as to help someone who is completely alien to others, Iloton finds it unlikely.

The homunculus realizes that the girl found out that she is not human and starts to look for a way out. Then the man says "I suppose I'm the weird one here then. Feel not afraid dear customer, I have a room that is just free for your use. I will grant you clothes that I think will suit you. The only thing I need from you is your name."

The homunculus fell silent. She forgot to ask the creator what her name was before he died. She said with a sad tone "I don't have one." The man rubbed his chin for a moment and then said "Then would you like me to give you a name? At least the name that I will put in the ledger." The homunculus feels a little discomfort, but she says "Do as you wish." Then the man says "Then how about a name from an old world. A name of a woman that signifies new life and innocence. I will put your name as… Eve."

The homunculus then felt a surge of power coming through her. "What just happened?" She wondered to herself. Then the man said "You seem to be in need of a wash, please use our newly added washing area. Please, come this way." The man then shows the way to the washing area. The homunculus, now known as Eve, followed the man.

The man explained the way this "shower" worked and told what was on the bottles near the shower. He left Eve to herself and she went along with her business, washing herself.

After she was done, Eve noticed that her jacket was missing and that it was replaced by some other clothes. She figured that the man left them for her, so she put them on.

Then, once Eve was at the main building, the man offered some food for her. She had only been eating raw meat and fruits until now, so this taste was out of the world for her. Then the man gave her the key to her room and personally guided her to it. After a long day had passed, Eve went to sleep in the most comfortable bed she had ever slept on.

While Eve was sleeping, Jes and Iloton were having a conversion. Iloton asks "Why did you do that?" Jes claims ignorance and asks "What do you mean?" Then Iloton says "You gave the homunculus a name that seems to hold a lot of power. Why would you inscribe her with such a thing?" Jes smiled and answered "I only think that the guy who came up with the name would appreciate it if I gave it to a first girl of her kind that was created by the effort of man." Iloton then says "Iloton wonders if that's the case."

The next morning Eve wakes up, she smells a tasty meal. She went down and she saw a delicious meal waiting for her. She digs in and Jes sits down opposite of her and Jes asks "So what are you going to do after this, dear customer?" Eve pauses eating and wonders for a moment. Then she says "I want to learn how to improve my abilities." Jes then smiles and says "Well I have a fantastic proposition for you. How about you begin your life as an adventurer? There you will face obstacles that you will have to rise up against. You have survived so far in the wild, so I'm sure you will do quite well."

Eve thinks for a moment and then asks "But where do I learn magic and fighting techniques?" Jes then says "I have a couple of regulars that will be able to teach you. And if they are not free, I can give you some secret service on the house. Did that come out right? Nah, whatever. The point is that I will give you the opportunity to learn and get some cash while doing it. What do you say?"

Eve thinks for a while. Then Jes says "Just think about it while you are eating." Then Jes leaves and Eve is left there. She continues eating while she ponders her options. She knows she will eventually have to find the assistant, but before that she must get stronger and become the proof that gods will witness and acknowledge. She decided. She will become an adventurer.

She then goes to the counter and says "Thanks for the food. And I decided to take up your offer." Jes smiles and says "Excellent. Now take this bag and this slip so you can enter the town. Then look for a place called adventurers guild and go register there. If you run across people named Diane or Bellus then say that I sent you and tell them what you need." Eve grabs the things the man offered to her and then goes to town.

While there were some problems while entering the town, Eve eventually managed to get in. She searched for a place the innkeeper mentioned and eventually found the place. She entered and went to the register, signed in and became a registered adventurer.

Then she saw a woman enter the building and everyone was in awe. She heard whispers that said "That's the thunder blade Diane. I wonder what she will be hunting today?" Eve now knew that that was one of the people the innkeeper told to ask for help. She goes and taps on Diane's shoulder and says meekly "Excuse me. Are you Diane." Diane turns around and says "Yes. Do you need something?" Then Eve explains that the innkeeper sent her a rough story about what she wants to do. Diane accepts this and then she is told to meet her in the inn after Eve was done with her first quest. Eve accepts and goes to do the quest.

After finishing the quest of gathering some herbs quickly, she returns to the adventurers guild and finishes her first quest. There are some glares pointed at her and she even hears someone saying "Can you believe that she had the gall to talk to the thunderblade Diane?" She then quickly leaves and gets back to the inn.

When she gets back, she hears Diane speaking to the innkeeper while Eve is behind the door. Diane says "I hope that you will pay me back for what I'm about to do." The innkeeper says "Of course, of course. Eventually the girl will bear fruit, so it's an honest investment. Speaking of which." Then the door opens by itself and Eve falls to the ground. She gives an embarrassed smile and a chuckle while she is on the ground and then gets up.

When she is up, Diane taps Eve's shoulder and says "Let's go." Then both of them leave and spend the rest of the day practicing how to fight with a sword.

When the sun has been down for a while, Diane tells Eve that they can continue training tomorrow. Then both of them go to the inn and go to the showers and then eat a meal before going to bed.

Inside Jes is scheming "By investing my money now, I will get a huge sum back when the girl turns into a tier 11 and gains a good pay for her services. And then there is the bonus of watching something interesting happen right at my doorstep while being a humble innkeeper. This is brilliant. BRILLIANT I tell you." Then he starts snickering by himself while in the corner Iloton just says "Sure sure. Oh humble owner of an inn. Sure."