IV - Improvement, Blessing and Confirmation

"Egil, it seems like you've grasped the basics of mana control," Goddess Neso, as usual, appeared out of nowhere and began discussing my progress.

"But you've only scratched the surface; you still have a long way to go."

"I know, goddess, no need to rub it in."

Before she could say anything else, I took the chance to ask her a question.

"Goddess, you mentioned that exalted beings like you can bestow blessings to individuals. Were you the one who gave me this blessing by any chance?"

The goddess stood there silently as if she were pondering her response.

"No, it wasn't me."

I grew more intrigued, and more questions started popping into my head.

"Egil, due to the limited time I have, I will answer what I can in the shortest way possible. I hope you understand."

I nodded, bracing myself for what she was about to say.

"There was another goddess that summoned your soul to send you to this world, and there were other collaborators. This is the first time in our long history that such a summoning was performed."

"So I didn't die. But why am I, out of all the people in my world, chosen to be here?"

"That, I cannot answer. I also don't have any idea about your purpose here. I know words hold no weight, but I deeply apologize."

For the goddess, a greater being, to ask for forgiveness from a mere human, how could I press on this matter any further?

"What's done is done, Goddess Neso. And as you said, you were not the one that summoned me here, right? You don't need to apologize on behalf of someone else."

"Actually…"

"Actually what, goddess?"

"Well, how do I put this.."

"Goddess?"

"Though I may not be the one who pulled you from your world, I was the one who sent you to this remote island."

"WHAT?!"

"Tee-hee."

"Don't tee-hee me! You've got to be kidding me! I've been here for several weeks living like I was in the Stone Age!"

"Haah.. No use getting angry over this. So, goddess, please enlighten me as to why you sent me to this godforsaken place."

"Spur of the moment, I guess."

I lost it.

Then, the goddess reverted to her serious self.

"Egil, the one that summoned you here is a very dangerous being. I had to do what I thought was right at that time."

"I've been observing you since I brought you here, and aside from that accident you caused, you've been a righteous person. I believe it's time that I finally bestow my blessing upon you."

"Mind you, I haven't given a blessing in a thousand years, but as a token of apology, I wouldn't mind giving you one."

"Is there a particular reason why you haven't been giving blessings for a long time?"

"Not really. There was no rule stating that I should give blessings every time I could, you know."

She has some issues, no questions.

Then, the goddess shone brightly, almost blindingly. Suddenly, I felt something warm yet comforting enveloping my body.

"This is my gift to you, Heavenly Blueprint. With it, you can create whatever item you can think of as long as the materials required are present."

"Isn't this a bit too much, goddess?"

"I think it's fine. Don't you think this should make your life a little bit easier while you're on this island?"

"Thank you, goddess. So, how do I go about this?"

"Just clear your mind and focus on something that you would like to create."

I closed my eyes and thought of something that I'd wanted for quite a while. Then, I heard a beep sound, and when I opened my eyes, I saw a hologram of that thing floating in front of me, along with a list of ingredients below.

The goddess, upon seeing the blueprint, raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Hey, you're on a deserted island full of dangerous creatures, and you used my blessing for chocolate?"

"Well, I have a sweet tooth, so…"

"Ugh. You don't think things through, do you?"

"..."

"That's it for today, Egil. I'll be back in a few days, and hopefully, you'll come up with a better use for the gift I gave you."

She disappeared.

Although I definitely wanted some sweets right now, that's not the only reason why I chose chocolate for the blueprint.

As the name suggests, a blueprint will appear once I think of an item that I would like to create. I chose chocolate since I don't have the available ingredients to make it.

If I had the ingredients needed, would the blueprint not appear?

When I read the ingredients listed, I noticed that instead of cocoa, it needed "xocola". I guess this is an ingredient similar to cocoa, meaning that cocoa does not exist in this world, but they have an alternative for it.

It also only listed the main ingredients, and there was no process needed to make it.

The options are not as limited as I thought they would be. I was thinking I could only make basic items like swords and such.

The goddess was telling the truth when she said I can make anything.

The blueprint vanished as soon as I thought of closing it.

I had been planning to prepare for a trip to the cave, but I suppose that can wait. With this new power, I need to utilize it and make life a little more comfortable.

I constructed a simple log house using the Heavenly Blueprint. It turned out just as I had imagined it would, right down to the interior.

It took me a few days to gather all the materials required by the blueprint. I had to create stone tools using the blessing, as I didn't have a way to acquire iron. I imbued mana into the tools to make them sharper and more durable.

The house has two rooms on the right: one for sleeping and the other for storage. I've also added a basement to be used as a cellar. On the left side is the dining area, which also functions as the living room.

It's impossible to create a modern bathroom at the moment, so for now, I'll continue to take care of my needs in the forest and bathe in the stream as usual.

With that out of the way, I can finally start preparing for my cave exploration!