Chapter 102: Kidnapping

After having a lot of fun and a very fulfilling dinner, Ray led everyone into the Hub, then into the Hub's world.

"So, my plan is splitting our group into two. The lower level one will form one group to take on beginners friendly dungeons while higher level one including me will take on higher level dungeons." Ray directed while teaching them how to open their status screen.

Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarna, Ravel, Xenovia, Roseweisse, Lancelot and Ray is the group with higher level with lowest being Mittelt with Lv 69 and others average around Lv 80 while highest being Ray himself.

Cheshire, Myui, Yao, Cecilia, Houki and Laura are the groups with lower levels where the highest is surprisingly Cheshire. Her level is Lv 17 due to her occasional participation when Ray is battling. Though, her level isn't really relevant, technically speaking. Due to her race and condition.

Due to shipgirls is a wisdom core that powers a human-like body, similar to a golem that is a body composed of any material like rocks that is given life after a spirit is inserted. Cheshire's race is listed as golem. However, despite being listed as a golem. Cheshire is no different than any human that can feel emotions and have all the five senses. The only difference is she will not truly die and is literally immortal unless her wisdom cube is damaged and her literal Achilles Heel.

After the group is divided, Ray also assigned Ophis to accompany the lower level group for assurance despite knowing there aren't any enemies that can survive a shot of electromagnetic cannon from Cheshire. He also summoned a few Medic operators to accompany them before summoning his Ant Queen.

The Ant Queen then spawned five giant worker ants and five giant soldier ants to be turned into mount for both groups.

Ray then leads his group to the dune area that he previously had to postpone. The low level group is led by Yao to those lower level dungeons Ray marked on a map.

———

In upper levels, several gods that form a loose alliance with the purpose of gathering up their followers against the encroachment of monsters noticed something of great importance at the lower level that they all gathered up with full attendance. Something that never happened after the initial gathering to form the alliance.

"Did you sense the recently arrived group?" The god wearing a loose white robe similar to ancient Roman toga and radiating holy and soothing aura, spoke to his fellow members that nodded to his question.

"Indeed. But, I call dibs on that blue haired girl. A battle maniac and possesses the finest quality of a warrior. The most perfect candidate to become my Saint." The rather arrogant god dressed in battle armor like a war god of old declared without bothering to be polite before laughing without the care of the world.

"Indeed, having a War Saint is indispensable with our crusade against the monster." The god in loose white robe said before nodding and looking around for others to speak.

"I would select the warrior girl. A perfect match for me, the Goddess of Justice. She has a strong sense of righteousness and some trace of divinity. I suspect she is the descendant of a demigod." The goddess looks like the epitome of beauty, wearing very little clothes to barely enough to cover her body and gold accessories like earrings, necklace, bracelets, anklet, etc. Also have a golden staff attached to a scale that signifies her divinity of Justice.

(Her outfit is similar to Aphrodite from Record of Ragnarok.)

"Tsk. Declare oneself as Goddess over Justice and yet here we are discussing kidnapping those heroes and making them into your convenient tools. Even if I am God of Darkness and Patron of Massacre, Demon Prince of Wrath. I still feel disgusted by your underhanded trickery."

"This is for the greater good. Sacrifice must be made for us to preserve the population now that the One had finally awakened from its slumber after the great war 500 years ago. The sacrifice of few can save hundreds of thousands of people. They should rejoice from this opportunity." The first god said with a genial face like a holy man giving his followers a blessing.

"Just get this over with. Sitting with your group feels more repulsive than taking a dip in a pit filled with maggots." Another god on the evil side said, supported by his fellow gods and goddesses.

"Indeed, we must act fast while the Dragon King is away." The Goddess of Justice added.

Thus, the gods and goddesses here splitted who they are going to take before using their power to warp those they selected to their own realm to be made into their champion.

Learning from previous mistakes, the gods now take a proactive approach by absorbing the reincarnators and transmigrators into their folds. The old heroes that get exterminated were in fact too strong for them to control and thus forced to submit to their wills. Now that the heroes of old had been exterminated and new ones appeared, they will do their best to preserve their power and position. The simplest method is to deal with them while they are weak.

———

Almost an hour of speeding through the Great Forest, Ray and co stepped their foot in the sandy terrain of the dune. Although he can just warp here. He didn't because this world is still unfamiliar to Ray and using the warp magic is very dangerous especially when the fabric of space here is way stronger and different than DxD world.

(Just an excuse after I forgot about the ability and to make Ray travel through the place either by foot or by waypoints.)

The Sphinxes are still unable to be spotted due to the sandy hill obstructing their view. The giant ants continue to march on the sand without trouble.

To avoid boredom, Ray talk about his Bounty mission in Fate world which attracted the attention of Ravel especially when Demon God pillars and Goetia is mentioned.

"So, in that world. The noble devil house ancestors are actually lesser deities commanded by this being called Goetia?"

"Yes. Goetia is the consciousness that was born from the King of Mage, Solomon." Ray further explained to Ravel that focused on listening. Meanwhile Ray is distracted by the cuteness of Ravel, looking very serious as she learns about the demons of another world.

"Though, their purpose is mainly to activate the ritual of Human Order Incineration. Goetia wishes to turn back time to genesis before trying to create a world where death doesn't exist."

"A grand plan indeed, to free humanity from the shackle of mortality. Though Ophis said she killed Goetia after possessing my body." Ray finishes his storytelling time since they almost arrived at the destination.

"Wait. Ophis possessing your body?" Raynare and the others questioned as they didn't miss such a big detail being mentioned.

"It's not a big deal. She just thinks I cannot defeat Goetia myself and take over the battle in my stead." Ray reassured them it's nothing to worry about.

"But, wouldn't that mean she can at any moment just take possession of your body?" Roseweisse pointed it out while others nodded and looked at Ray for an answer.

"Yeah, how are you not worried about such matters?" Mittelt lazily points out the obvious before another collective nod comes from his wives.

"Master, I was supposed to be there by your side. I can help resist such mental invasion to some extent but I failed to be there when my help was required." Meanwhile Lancelot depressively blames himself for not being there when Ophis takes possession of Ray's body.

"Oi, hold the sword! You are supposed to embody a European knight, why are you committing seppuku of all things?" Ray quickly stopped Lancelot.

"Anyway, I don't blame anyone for that but myself. If I am stronger… Haiz. I have been using this excuse quite frequently of late. Have I not?" Ray is about to blame his own weakness but he did it a lot and yet. Nothing had changed.

It's not that he did nothing to fix his apparent weakness. But he isn't doing enough. He has plenty of methods in front of him but his own feelings are the obstacle. He can't just spend days upon days killing monsters in the Hub world because he has a family he needs to return to. He cannot just go missing for an extended time even if none of them except him will feel the passage of time.

That's why he brought them here. Make them stronger so he can fulfill both getting stronger and be with his family at the same time. Though, that soon will become his own folly.

"What with the self-deprecating thoughts? I never remember accepting a weak willed man as my own husband." Xenovia declared with a soft smile on her face despite usually grinning ear to ear as she got drunk with the adrenaline rush of battle.

"The man I married is the most stubborn of all. Will persevere even the most difficult task. Never once look back even facing his own defeat. Not even the embrace of death can hold him still as he will rise again and again with even stronger conviction to seize victory even at the most impossible battle." Xenovia sung praises to Ray of her view on him. She did have opportunities to fight alongside Ray during the Evil Dragon war to know that Ray isn't a wimp that gives up that easily.

"Did I?" Ray asked since what Xenovia praised him was different from what he had in mind about himself.

"I mean, all that I was thinking about at that moment is if I am defeated here, Cheshire will be in danger and worry unnecessarily about me. After all, for her. I am willing to scale even the tallest mountain and the deepest ocean. I never intended to be heroic or anything." Ray confessed the truth of his feelings.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is your action. In the end of all that, you look heroic and an inspiring figure to those under your leadership. A leader that leads the frontline himself is the kind of inspiring leader every soldier looks up to. An unbreakable and unstoppable leader that not even death can falter him is the kind of leader that every soldier will follow even to the depth of hell. Figuratively and literally speaking because he is the most courageous of them all." Xenovia explained with vigor and enthusiasm. Her speech got applause from everyone.

"She is right, Ray. Also, scaling the tallest mountain and the deepest ocean… any woman will fall for those honeyed words if those aren't directed to a child like your daughter. I never knew you were such a sweet talker, Ray." Raynare giggled melodiously and slapped her thigh at the realization on Ray's face.

Even Lancelot is giving Ray a weird look that irked Ray somehow.

"Master, you do know I can read your thoughts, right?" Lancelot reminds Ray after hearing himself being associated with the title 'Predator of the Married and Widows'.

"What?" Ray feigns innocence before changing the topic.

"Anyway, I'm not going to put my hand on my own daughter. I am not such a depraved man to make advances on a young girl." Ray frowned before saying in a straight and irrefutable tone and expression.

"Hmn… So, you wouldn't mind after she grows up?" Raynare, whose favorite pastime is to tease Ray, immediately found a loophole in his own words to use against him.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I only see her as my own daughter." Ray defended himself only for Raynare to poke deeper and dig into the open wound.

"But you didn't deny my words either." Raynare smirked victoriously.

"I-" Ray is going to defend himself but something happened to them all and Ray can already tell this is magic or space attribute. Someone is forcefully teleporting him and his wives away from him.

He didn't have the capability to resist this magic. Not to mention the risk to him and his wives if the magic destabilized mid way and teleported them into a rock or something.

He could only hope nothing bad happened to his wives and the others with Ophis.

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