Chapter 12

FELS POV:

Fels observed Shalltear's panicked expression, caught in the act of bestowing a Falna blessing upon a monster in the dungeon—an act that Fels knew to be a torment to the very soul of the monsters, based on their previous experiments alongside Ganesha. It pained Fels to witness such suffering inflicted upon the creatures they empathized with. This situation was beyond their expectations.

This situation is…Inconceivable

Suddenly, the enraged Bad Bat charged toward Fels. Reacting swiftly, Fels sidestepped the creature's path, raising one open hand adorned with a magic gauntlet. The intricate patterns on the glove ignited with a surge of power, and a colorless shockwave erupted from Fels's palm. The shockwave struck the bat directly in its gut, propelling it backward with great force. The impact was too much for the lower-level monster, and its magic stone shattered, causing the bat to disintegrate.

Fels turned their gaze towards her, slightly bowing forward, and spoke, "It would have been an honor to make your acquaintance, Goddess Shalltear Bloodfallen, if not for... this situation..." Their voice conveyed both respect and disappointment.

Shalltear's panic subsided, and her gaze fixated upon Fels, seemingly pondering the unfolding circumstances. Fels continued, "I am sure you have questions, and I would be more than happy to answer them. However... it's difficult to have a meaningful conversation in the Dungeon." Fels extended their arms, palms facing upward. "I suggest a change of scenery," they suggested, rotating their body to point toward one of the entrances leading back to the surface.

She raised a hand to her chin, contemplating the proposition. Thus far, she had not taken any action. With a skeptical expression, she responded, "You expect me to listen to a robed shadow that appeared out of nowhere in the Dungeon, at night?" Her raised eyebrow conveyed her disbelief.

Undeterred, Fels, for the second time, urged her, "Ouranos requests your presence. Please allow me to guide you back to the surface." Though respectful in tone, the words held a firmness that conveyed the underlying message, 'You are coming with me to see Ouranos'.

Shaltear takes a moment to think if going or not, then it seems like an idea pops up over her head, and decides to accompany the robed person, "...Very well" she responds and starts to walk, not waiting for Fels to guide her, which walks after her.

o-O-o

Fels followed Shalltear through the brown-colored hallways of the upper floors in the Dungeon. The absence of people during the night caused the monsters to focus their attention on the duo, but she effortlessly dispatched them with minimal effort, showcasing her formidable power.

As a goblin attempted to attack from behind the party, Fels swiftly countered with a shockwave, slamming the creature against the dungeon walls, ending its life. Observing Shalltear's effortless prowess, Fels couldn't help but find her strength puzzling.

This is strange... she seems too powerful for being a recently descended Goddess... with her Arcanum sealed.

Fels maintained their gaze on Shalltear as she used her umbrella to pierce the magic stone of a Kobold, reducing it to a cloud of ashes. She periodically glanced over her shoulder, ensuring Fels was still following.

o-O-o

Outside Babel, Fels activated their invisibility cloak, "Follow me", they indicated for Shalltear to follow. They guided her into a back alley on the west-northwest side. Beneath a pair of wooden doors that appeared to lead to a cellar, a stone passageway emerged, extending westward until it reached a dead end.

Shalltear trailed behind, the black robe's shadow lighting their way with a portable magic-stone lamp. The tunnel itself was narrow, allowing only three people to stand side by side, with a low ceiling. The surface of the passageway bore intricate engravings.

Reaching the dead end, Fels ran a hand along the grooves carved into the wall. Uttering an incantation-like phrase, the wall began sliding away with a low rumble, revealing the continuation of the passageway.

"Very few individuals are aware of this shortcut. It's possible to count on one hand the number who have used it," Fels remarked, looking back at her. However, her attention was elsewhere, her wide eyes fixed on a specific direction, to the north-northwest.

In that direction... is Ouranos

She was surely feeling the immense divine power emanating from Ouranos.

"We must continue," Fels indicated, and Shalltear complied, following them deeper into the passageway.

As they proceeded through the stone passageway, the only sounds echoing were their footsteps and the closing of the stone door behind them. The air grew cooler, possessing a chilling quality that could cause discomfort to an ordinary person's skin.

Reaching yet another dead end, Fels opened a secret door, revealing a chamber cloaked in darkness. Sensing a pause in the footsteps behind them, Fels turned to find she looking down at the ground ahead, her expression tinged with wariness.

Shalltear closed her eyes momentarily, summoning her courage. With a brave demeanor befitting an adventurer descending into the depths of a dungeon to confront a boss monster, she took a step forward, continuing to follow Fels.

Unbeknownst to Fels, her race traits, Good, Light and Holy Vulnerability IV and Good and Holy Consecrated Areas' Vulnerability II, were beginning to affect her. She gradually realized that this might not have been the wisest decision, but it was too late to turn back now.

o-O-o

OURANOS POV:

In the early hours of the morning, with darkness still enshrouding Orario, Shalltear entered the stone chamber where Ouranos sat upon his stone throne. Her crimson pupils glowed in the dim light as she approached, stopping in front of Ouranos. One of the first things Ouranos is concerned about is that he cannot feel her goddess' aura, her soul, nor the pressure that would come from her spiritual container, assuming she was an adventurer.

Aura, the way for the people of the lower realm to know that the person standing in front of them is a deity. It's almost like a glow. When a god uses their divine power, Arcanum, their aura goes into overdrive and other deities know about it.

The soul, or once a person was given a Falna, the Excelia spiritual container became bigger the higher the level an adventurer had and started to grow from level 2. Ultimately an adventurer's level is the strength of their soul, how far in the phases of the spiritual container's sublimation they had reached. Once reaching level 2, the process of sublimation started and their soul started to give a pressure on the world, and also allowed the adventurer to sense the size of a person's spiritual container for their Status. This of course is something that the gods could easily perceive.

Yet Ouranos could not detect any of them from Shalltear. The only way to hide it from him will be with Arcanum, but that will give her away and make it easy to detect. It was like something not alive was standing in front of him.

With an elegant aristocratic bow, she introduced herself, "Shalltear Bloodfallen, a pleasure to meet you," gracefully lifting her skirt with both hands.

Fels informed Ouranos, "I brought Shalltear as requested... I found her bestowing the Falna with her ichor upon a monster in the dungeon." Ouranos's attention was immediately piqued. It meant that she now knew about the existence of souls within monsters, so concealing that fact would serve no purpose. Instead, it would be better to utilize this knowledge to their advantage.

Ouranos contemplated the idea of reproaching her for giving Falna to a monster. By starting the conversation from a position of power and predictability, future negotiations with her would be more manageable. After all, when someone feels threatened, their instinctual response is to either flee or fight back.

"Do you find it amusing to torture the souls of monsters by inducing soul erosion and a status bug?" Ouranos reproached Shalltear, mentioning two common detrimental effects.

When a Falna was given by a god to something that wasn't a children, like a Creature, a hybrid of a children and a monster, it developed the skill Monstrum Union, indicating it as a hybrid and a Neo-Irregular. This caused Anima Erosion, corrupting the soul, and a Status Bug, changing the Level to 0 and all stats appearing as 000. This happened when applied to a half-monster hybrid, on a normal monster it was even worse.

Shalltear appeared irritated, retorting, "Hah?! There was no soul erosion, nor were their ability values reduced to zero, nor was their level reduced to zero—there was no status bug!" She vehemently denied that any such effects occurred when she bestowed the Falna blessing upon a monster. Her statement was true and significantly different from the outcome when a normal god blessed a monster with the Falna.

Truth.

Hook, line, and sinker, I have seen that expression too many times, and now you will try to counter my accusation.

Slightly enraged, Shalltear launched a counterattack, delivering a bombshell question: "Since we're discussing the souls of monsters... would you care to explain why resurrection magic designed for children works on monsters, while resurrection methods designed for monsters work on children? ...Would you enlighten us why it is backward?" Her question struck a nerve.

Fels' spell Dia Orpheus was resurrection magic granted to only the Sage of old. It was taboo magic conjured with an extremely long chant. It could overturn predetermined fate, a secret technique capable of defying an irreversible, absolute truth. It was a magic designed to reach the very heavens and even reach the realm of the dead in a pillar of white light, to bring back a dead person back to life. It was a request made in exchange for all of Fels's Mind. And yet, for 800 years that Fels had used it, it had never worked on a person, only to work on a monster in canon with Weine, a monster.

And then you have the Corrupted Spirit's avatar, which could find bodies of dead persons that had a mostly intact torso, even if the rest was shredded remains, to implant a magic stone, the core of monsters and where their soul resided, to resurrect those that had the compatibility, the strong character to be reborn as a Creature.

Both types of souls tended to linger in the place of death for a while before passing on to their respective reincarnation cycles: the children's reincarnation cycle in heaven and the monsters' reincarnation cycle in the dungeon

One would think that the method developed by people will work on people and the monsters' method will work on monsters, yet it was backward. Those details were not the only things that were suspicious about the children's and monsters' souls. Ultimately, the souls of the children and the monsters were both similar and opposites, it was a contradiction.

Fels looked frantically between Shalltear and Ouranos, filled with surprise and confusion, stuttering, "W-Wh-What...?".

Ouranos's mouth remained tightly shut, but a hint of concern flickered in his eyes. He had not divulged the reason for the magic not working on children to Fels in the centuries they had worked together, and he had no intention of revealing it now.

Why are you asking that if as a goddess you already know the answer? Are you trying to make Fels-Wait! So far her words were detected as 'truth' but that only activates for children, since no children can lie to a god... You are not a goddess!

Internal thoughts of Ouranos raced through his mind. There was something amiss. If Shalltear was truly a child, he should be able to sense her soul, yet there was no pressure emanating from her like she didn't have an excelia spiritual container. Furthermore, she possessed the strength of a level five, a contradiction that perplexed him greatly. None of this made sense.

…Fels saw her giving a Falna with her blood… Which she can only have done if she was a Goddess. Nothing makes sense. What is going on here?

Summoning his resolve, Ouranos posed the question, "What are you?"

She responded theatrically, "Oh, 'what'? You should have used 'who'. You hurt my feelings."

Lie.

Her feelings are not hurt.

"I am Shalltear Bloodfallen," she declared, making a slight bow as if presenting herself once again. "A being created with the blood of the God Cainabel, with his blood soul flowing through my veins."

This revelation was Shalltear's trump card, the reason she had sought this meeting with Ouranos. She knew it would steer the conversation in a specific direction, one she was prepared for. How Ouranos would react to this information was already clear in her mind.

Fels, losing composure, exclaimed, "...a god reborn—no, recreated as a monster... using his divine ichor?!" The incomprehensibility of her words left Fels in a state of confusion.

Shalltear, undeterred, responded, "Is it really that strange? Don't you have items made with the blood of gods as ingredients?"

The Unlocking Serum, also called Status Thief, is an item that shows a person's status, even if the person's god was sent back to heaven. It is a small vial containing a scarlet liquid and a fragment of crystal. Only those who had the advanced ability Enigma were able to produce this item that was created from the ichor in a deity's blood. Its main ingredient made the substance illegal.

The Renewal Serum, also called Status Snitch, is an updated version of the item Status Thief. It allowed an adventurer's status to be updated. The item did have its limitations, in the way that no skills, magic, or levels could be updated through its usage, only abilities values. The main difference with the Unlocking Serum was that it was made ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌blood‌ ‌of‌ ‌several‌ ‌gods‌ ‌with‌ ‌different‌ ‌powers.

As if her previous revelation wasn't enough, Shalltear unfurled her bat wings followed by her divine wings. The two pairs of wings created a gentle breeze that moved through the stone chamber. She was determined to keep the conversation on the path she desired.

"...Unbelievable," Fels murmured, finding it overwhelming to process everything at once.

A chimera? No, an amalgamation between a god… and a monster of all things… Is this, too, what this world holds in store?

Concern fueled Ouranos as he inquired, "You mentioned being 'made'. What about those who 'made' you?"

Shalltear replied calmly, "You don't have to worry about them in the future. They do not live in this world."

Truth.

You killed them in revenge, didn't you?... Regardless of whether they were children or gods, they will not become a problem if they are not in this world anymore

Seeking further understanding, Ouranos asked, "Are there others like you?"

"No, there are no others. I am certain of it," Shalltear responded.

Truth.

A small mercy…

Fels, driven by curiosity, asked Shalltear, "Pardon my curiosity but… what is your stance on this? …on being a monster?"

She replied with nonchalance, "What is there to be? It is simply a part of who I am."

Ouranos couldn't help but notice the peculiarity of Shalltear's lack of concern regarding her monstrous nature, considering the true nature of the Dungeon. It seemed she had no recollection of her time as a god, he concluded.

Seizing the opportunity, Ouranos posed a question that caught her off guard. "Do you remember when you were a god?"

Shalltear appeared taken aback by the question before responding, "I know... fragments... memories of being different before... Cainabel being a patron deity... the god of the first bloodline, the first of the blood, the divine ancestor, 'The One'."

Truth.

A patron deity... The god of the first bloodline... The divine ancestor...

Ouranos's mind raced with the revelation that Shalltear presented. He, too, was a patron deity and held significant influence both in the heavens and in the mortal realm, here referred to as the "Father of Orario" and heralded to as the "Supreme God" during his time in the heavens. What she was indicating to him was that Cainabel was alike.

Ouranos was a god of origins and a god of creation, one of the first gods, he was well acquainted with the other gods of the origins. However, Cainabel's existence as one of the first divine ancestors and the one of the first bloodline had eluded his knowledge entirely. It was a contradiction that perplexed Ouranos, as Shalltear's words were detected as truth by his divine perception.

Seeking further clarification, Ouranos inquired, "Do you recall the location of your territory on Tenkai?" He hoped to cross-reference this information with his knowledge of other gods' domains.

Tenkai, Deusdia, the upper realm, the heavens, it had many names but it was where the gods resided. It has different Lands, like Olympus which had different Territories, also called Domains, where the gods resided, in a sense they were similar to the countries of the mortal realm. When the territories were close by, the gods were considered neighbors, for example, Hestia's and Hermes' domains in Tenkai were right next to each other.

In particular, there certainly were quite a few gods and goddesses from Olympus residing in Orario: Ouranos, Hermes, Hestia, Hephaistos, Dionysus, Demeter, Penia, and Ikelos.

Each Land had its own rules, for example, Olympus had a rule to select the Twelve Gods, their representatives, which represented an important position without any comparable substitute for all Olympus' gods… except for Hestia... which relinquished the position to Dionysus so she could be a couch potato in her temple and relax all day.

Shalltear crossed her arms, deep in thought. After a momentary pause, she responded, "Hmmm... I am not entirely certain, but I believe Cainabel's territory was situated in Helheim. It was a realm covered in ice, shrouded in pure darkness. The atmosphere was grim and dark, and the sky was perpetually overcast."

She was talking about YGGDRASIL's Helheim world, which was two to three times the size of Tokyo. Within Helheim, things became more dangerous the further one went from the center of its world. In addition to the wandering monsters, the very terrain itself became a hazard for players to explore.

She changed position and put a hand under her chin, continuing explaining "There was the Piercing Crystal Plains covered in frozen vegetation that resembled crystal razors, and the Grenbera Swamp with toxic fog-covered areas and a pink humanoid frog tribe living there..."

The Piercing Crystal Plains was a hazardous environment, the crystal razors that covered the area dealt damage with every step taken within the Plains, and they could damage players wearing even Relic-class armor. In addition, mineralized monsters wandered through the plains, and anyone who did not use bludgeoning-type weapons would have a hard time dealing with them. It was located 100 meters away from the Grenbera Swamp.

The Grenbera Swamp was a wetland region, a pink and purple poisonous swamp that was home to several hamlets of pink humanoid frogs. Other monsters living there were devil leeches, purple worms, swarmlords, mad eaters, and swamp nagas. Ultimately all monsters that took advantage of the dangerous terrain. Located on an island in the deepest reaches of the swamp was the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

Disbelief brimming, Fels questioned, "A pink... humanoid... frog... tribe?"

Shalltear maintained a composed expression and confirmed, "Indeed, the Tuveg. They are a theocracy governed by a priest lord who holds authority over the priests. They have bards known as singer-songwriters, knights who protect them, and warlords who command bands of fighters."

The Tuveg were able to see through concealment. When one spots an intruder, it will then cry out and alert the whole tribe, making them troublesome opponents to fight. The Tuveg's special method of communication allowed them to communicate over several kilometers much like Message. Depending on the type of Tuveg it is, their levels tend to vary between level 80-85. They weren't the only species that had this characteristic, for example, the Purple Worms were level 74 worm-like monsters ten times the width of a human torso that used vibrations to navigate and detect enemies. They moved in packs, making them a troublesome foe, even to a legion of players. If they happen to end up detecting intruders within their radius, the Purple Worms will make sure to alert more of their kind to fend off its enemies. Ultimately if you tried to go to the Great Tomb of Nazarick and were caught then you needed to fight all the monsters of the entire region which keep spawning and coming after you. Reaching Nazarick was a feat in itself.

Originally when Nishikienrai discovered the tomb, the members of the guild snuck past them to reach Nazarick. Afterward, the Tuveg were subsequently defeated by the guild members and later delegated to act as part of the dungeon's external defenses under the management of Aura Bella Fiora, thanks to her taming abilities.

I see… so Cainabel should be the patron god of those pink frogs... the Tuveg

He imagined a vivid scene in his mind, picturing a procession of adorable pink humanoid frog knights with their swords raised high, accompanied by a male version of Shalltear and pink frog priests clad in clerical robes. A pink frog warlord with a horned helmet stood at the forefront, leading a contingent of pink fighters armed with axes and shields. In the background, charming pink bards serenaded the scene with their melodious tunes.

Ouranos was totally missing the mark. If the real Cainabel would have seen what Ouranos thought of he would have begged "Please, kill me now" because of the humiliation.

Remembering the previous mention of Helheim, it struck a chord within Ouranos. Helheim was a place he knew of, a desolate and chilling realm.

If that is the case, why wasn't Loki able to recognize Cainabel's name? Cainabel's territory must be close to Loki's...

With each new revelation, the enigma surrounding Shalltear deepened, further entangling the threads of understanding in Ouranos's mind. The puzzle pieces were starting to come together, yet the overall picture remained elusive, leaving him with more questions than answers.

"Apart from them, there were many Heteromorphic species around," she said, offering an additional comment.

Fels, trying to grasp the concept, asked, "...Heteromorphic?? As in beings that exhibit different forms in various stages of their life cycle?"

Shalltear clarified, "While it is true that some races possess that characteristic, I was referring to the classification of races: Humanoid, Demi-Human, and Heteromorphic."

"Heteromorphic beings like Fairies, Werewolves, Dragons, and Slimes," she continued, gesturing with her hands. "Demi-Human grouping Trolls, Hume Bunnies or Minotaurs. Humanoids encompass Elves, Dwarves, and Humans. These are just a few examples, as there are many more within each group."

Ouranos felt a growing intrigue toward the peculiar groupings of races. His intuition hinted that there was something deeper underlying this classification.

Curiosity piqued, Ouranos asked, "What is the basis for this... classification?"

Shalltear responded with confidence, "The groupings are determined by how my blood perceives them and, ultimately, by their potential and growth."

As Ouranos observed her, he realized that she possessed no inherent prejudice or discrimination toward monsters, Xenos, humans, or any other race. She seemed to embrace all races equally, with no hint of superiority or bias.

In Shalltear, Ouranos saw the final piece of the puzzle—the bridge between the dungeon, the gods, and the mortal races. She had the potential to not only maintain balance and coexistence but also to integrate all races harmoniously. This presented a priceless opportunity for Ouranos to further his plans.

Then, it is imperative that we bring her to our side… And for that, I need to know more about her personality… Yes, a trial is in order.

Addressing her by her name for the first time, Ouranos said, "Shalltear, are you familiar with the fairy tales of this world?" A change in the conversation had started.

Puzzled, she asked, "Fairy tales?" She hadn't anticipated this line of questioning from Ouranos.

Ouranos proceeded to explain, "Dungeon stories of Orario and other countries, documents of the journeys and deeds of past heroes"

Recognition sparked in Shalltear's eyes as she mentioned, "The Dungeon Oratoria."

The Dungeon Oratoria, it was a massive epic spread across multiple volumes. It was the history that occurred around Orario during the Age of Heroes. The true story of those heroes who continued to fight in order to protect their land, their races, their pride, and their loved ones, even at the cost of their own lives. The path lined by their great works and accomplishments. They were called Fairy Tales because actual Fairies and spirits had helped the heroes accomplish their deeds.

Ouranos nodded and continued, "Yes, exactly. One particular story revolves around the foundation of Altina..."

Altina, the kingdom of Magic. Alongside Orario, the magic country of Altina was considered another major global power. It was a country with a fundamental belief in the supremacy of magic. They had an elitist bent toward mages and the like and the citizens of Altina could readily be seen saying "Magic is everything" with straight faces. Between the thousands of people making a living thanks to magic, it was plausible a significant proportion of residents were elves—that was why they were hostile toward Orario and its powerful mages.

Shalltear's gaze shifted to Fels, known as the Sage of Altina and nicknamed 'Altina's cat.' With his lifespan exceeding 800 years, Fels had witnessed much history. However, the story Ouranos referred to was from more than 1000 years ago, dating back to the Ancient Times. It predated even Fels himself, making it a truly ancient tale.

Ouranos continued recounting the story, his voice steady and measured. He said, "A young girl, accompanied by the one who would become her court mage, pulls a holy sword from the stone and embarks on a journey to become a queen..."

Before Ouranos could advance further, she interrupted him, her voice assertive. She said, "Queen Altis, who eventually falls ill, and a group of brave knights from different lands unite in their quest for the Holy Grail. Eventually, Garrard discovers it to cure her. 'The Adventures of Garland'... I am familiar with the story. What is your point?"

Maintaining his composure, Ouranos responded, "...If you were to choose any item or element from that story, which would you choose?"

What will you choose? The sword of Altis? The magical sheat? The staff of the court mage? The Holy Grail? The shield of Garrard? Or perhaps one of the weapons of the other knights? Anything you choose would show me what you value and stand for. Now, disclose your true colors…

Shalltear narrowed her eyes suspiciously and asked, "Is this a test?"

With a calm demeanor, Ouranos replied, "You may interpret it as you wish."

She crossed her arms and tilted her head, contemplating her response. After a moment, she said, "I chose the stone where Altis' sword was embedded."

Silence filled the stone chamber below the Guild. The torchlights flickered once again, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Ouranos blinked his brine-colored eyes, contemplating the unexpected turn of events.

The stone…?

Curiosity tinged with confusion colored his voice as Ouranos asked, "...Why did you choose the stone?"

Shalltear shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, like her answer was obvious, her expression holding a hint of mischief. She replied, "Everything else revolves around it. It possesses the most powerful ability of all, the ability to foresee the future, destiny, and potential of any being. What's the point of any other item? The grail to cure sickness? Avoid it altogether. Weapons and armor? Stack the odds in your favor before the fight even begins, and so on..."

Prometheus would like her

The corners of Ouranos' mouth curled up slightly, almost as if smiling, "Then, perhaps we can work together," Ouranos proposed, his voice carrying a hint of intrigue.

Her curiosity piqued, and she responded with a mischievous tone, "Ohh?! What are you proposing?". She recognized that she had won the lore fight against Ouranos.

In that moment, she had successfully infiltrated Ouranos' inner circle, rather than simply relying on agents for indirect spying. Her objective had taken an unexpected turn, aligning with Ouranos' plans.

With a calm demeanor, Ouranos clarified his proposal, "Nothing extravagant, just accepting my occasional requests and offering your support... In return, you will be rewarded with resources that can be used for your amusement or to further your own goals." He thought that given what she had learned from her so far, her goals would possibly be aligned or guided towards his own goals.

"Yes, that is something I can accept," Shalltear declared, a spark of excitement ignited in her crimson pupils.

Thus, the lies Dionysus had spun for Loki became the truth, while the truth Ouranos had shared with Loki now became a lie.