Riot's face looked crestfallen as he munched on meat that tasted like nothing. He felt like his tongue only had a sense of touch.
Ever since he told Cain about his problem tasting food. Cain had been scribbling on the floor trying to find out what he got wrong with the ritual.
After a while. Cain approached and hopped on a rock. "Listen boy, it was just a minor flaw in the ritual. I can guarantee there's no other problem."
"Well, can you fix it?"
"Unfortunately no. The race change ritual has already been completed and with only this small margin of error, it can be considered a huge success. After all, I've only just learned this branch of CC and haven't mastered it. Trying to fix it might lead to other problems. Like losing something else..."
"..."
"..."
Facing Riot's gaze Cain suddenly felt guilty.
"Look if you discount this mistake. The rest of your body is amazing!"
"Oh really, tell me about it then." Riot munched on and waited for an explanation.
Cain cleared his throat looking smug. "Your new body was adapted from mine, a divine being! Do you know what that means!? Divine level organs! Although, it was just some parts that you received it was the important parts."
Cain suddenly became excited talking about how great his organs where.
Riot felt strange for some reason.
I feel like an organ dealer facing someone trying to sell off his organs.
"For example, with the 'live blood system', you can influence the activities of your body through your thoughts and will alone, having better control of your body in all respects, even to deciding whether or not to sweat, increasing your metabolic activities, creating antibodies rapidly to eliminate pathogens, regeneration and more.
'High impact bones' would help you withstand powerful blunt hits and efficiently distributes the shock thereby reducing the chances of broken bones tremendously.
'Lake heart' makes you highly sensitive to malicious intent, increases your perception to the emotions of others and can help you influence the emotions of others.
'Eyes of Cain' makes you resist mental/emotional instability and attacks. It also has an added bonus of a powerful vision.
'Essence absorption liver' It absorbs the potential off the monsters you eat very efficiently to aid your body growth and stimulate faster advancement in grades. With your advancement rate depending on the strength of the creature and the amount of it eaten.
There are other organs, but the most important is the tempest core engine. Which is a complex orb located at the center of your chest.
This alone has many functions. It acts as the sub-control center of your authorities. Improving the sensing, controlling, mana conversion and syncing of the use of the authorities, thereby enabling you to actively convert mana you released into the atmosphere into the desired energy type or authority for your use.
It helps you sense and absorb mana at a fast rate, astonishingly improving your mana recovery speed compared to the indigenes of this world. It can also absorb the essence out of the mana cores of monsters to grow your maximum mana.
And if you died it can store your soul for a while, giving you a chance of being revived.
The revival chance depended on how critical your wounds were before you died and how long ago you died before your wounds were healed.
Best of all! The effect of all these organs increases as your body advances in grade." He exhaled with a smile.
His expression then turned serious.
"However, the tempest core engine is where your soul resides and therefore a fatal spot. Even more so than your heart. If it gets damaged it could be the end of you."
As Riot listened his expression became much better. After receiving so much goodies he thought it wasn't all that bad not being able to taste food.
Riot then remembered something. "Before you saved me. I noticed that i was able to sense subtle sounds clearly from really far distances. Is that a function of the tempest core engine?"
"Hm, is that so?" Cain then thought a little. "It must be my divinity that caused this effect. When i transfered some of my life energy into you, it not only changed your race a little but also contained a bit of my divinity. Which is the essence of my authorities. What enabled you to hear things clearly was most likely you using the tremor authority subconsciously, with the aid of the tempest core engine."
"Tremor authority? Is that like an esper ability." Riot enquired in thought.
In this world there were not only skills, racial abilities and magic spells. But there were also special people who seem to be blessed by the heavens. Possessing various abilities.
For example controlling the wind like it was a part of their body, fly, control insects regardless if they were monsters or mythical insects. e.t.c These people were called Espers which could be translated in the ancient deman language as 'mortal gods'.
They only needed to learn basic mana and energy controlling techniques to better use their abilities. The downside was that these abilities usually consumed a lot of mana. However, if you were rich that wouldn't be a problem. As long as you were diligent in working hard (unlike 'Riot') you could amass a large amount of mana in your mana pool even before the age of 21.
Furthermore, the imperial families valued those with such specialness. So much so that as long as you make the ability known to them and prove it's value. You would be fully sponsored in one of their academies. With the only requirements being a few years of working for them and then after your contract has expired you sign a contract stating that you will never join the demans or any other nefarious organization.
If the ability was very powerful or had a high level of utility you could even be assigned the hero badge which grants you special discounts at imperial owned markets, limited access to restricted resources and better treatment at other imperial owned establishments. But whenever the imperial family is in danger or needs your help in anyway you have to respond to their call as soon as possible.
And truly, this method had produced a lot of human and demi-human heros over the decades. With there being only a few betrayals every a few decades.
Cain nodded. "It's similar."
He then laid on the rock. "I feel exhausted and need a bit of rest now. While i rest, you can observe your status to understand your body more or something... But don't forget to complete your travel preparations. For a long and dangerous journey awaits you." Cain slowly closed his eyes. Looking completely still. It was as if he had become part of the rock.
Riot stared at the cute looking creature in thought. "He knows i have a status?
Well, it kind of makes sense, after all, i could only see the status after he did that ritual."
Riot was starting to believe him more when Cain said he knew everything about him.
He put those thoughts aside for the moment and stared at the spatial rings on his finger.
***
—12 years ago.
In an underground cave a little girl was chained to a moist cave wall. She had a head full of crimson red hair, her pretty petite features had a stark contrast to the rags that she wore. Her eyes were blindfolded and her body looked lifeless.
In the distance the cackling of goblins grew closer as she regained consciousness. She heard the noise but remained apathetic, like she had given up on living.
A tiny red light suddenly appeared from thin air before her face and a deep and magnificent voice sounded out. "Young one."
She slowly lifted her head to look carefully at the light that she could see faintly through the blindfold.
"I have gained an interest in you. Become my disciple?"
"What are... you?" She ask hoarsely.
"I am a god."
"...El?"
"Ha! As expected 'He' would be the first to be to be thought of, since he rules over this domain. But no, I'm not El. I am Dairus."
"The God of Co–" She tried to say, but was interrupted.
"Yes, that is correct. Now quickly, decide. Are you willing to become my disciple?"
Five goblins lead by a hobgoblin holding a club had just walked into that section of the cave. They had been attracted over by the scent of the young virgin girl.
Her eyes suddenly regained some life.
"I... accept your kindness, my lord." She said slowly trying to make herself as clear as possible.
The red light immediately entered her head. Her entire body was suddenly engulfed by an eerily dim red light. It lasted for a moment, then the light disappeared. Then silence...
The goblins finally caught sight of the gift that had been handed over to them and began scrambling towards her.
Wham! The hobgoblin slammed his huge club down on one of their heads as a loud stomach churning sound echoed.
The unfortunate goblin fell to the ground with a splattered head. The hobgoblin exerted dominance to show who was first. Walking past the envious but fearful goblins.
Bang!
The chains holding her hands apart was suddenly pulled forcefully, causing sand to fall. The hobgoblin startled by the girl's sudden powerful movement stopped.
Bang! She hit her head back on the wall with tremendous force and the wall cracked up spreading to the chains. She then pulled again causing the chains to come out with big head sized chunks of rocks attached to both ends.
She slowly looked up at the goblins as they trembled at her gaze. Her blindfold had fallen off and her golden colored reptilian eyes were revealed, glowing in the dark cave. Her little body exuded a vicious aura.
Some moments later...
Two soldiers burst into the place with frightening speed. "Princess!"
"Princess Raya!!" They called anxiously looking for her. When they got to the section she was they stood in place looking at her and the gory scene in astonishment. Pieces of goblins where splattered all over the place with her standing in the middle. Blood dripping slowly from the chains.
She watched silently as one came forward and knelt before her. "Punish me princess! For I have failed in my duty as your guard."
The other came and wrapped his cape around her. Before also kneeling begging for punishment and cursing. "Deman horn! The royal princess went too far with her 'jokes'.
Raya's vicious eyes turned listless as she heard them say royal princess.
Suddenly a mysterious person in red cloak walked in, advancing slowly towards the girl.
The soldiers which were already tense emotionally nearly attacked the figure. But they stop when they saw the symbol on the cloak. It looked like a flaming sword pierce into a ferocious creature's neck.
The figure stooped down before the girl. Gently asking. "What is your name, god's chosen?"
She blinked a little before saying. "I am Raya... Raya Crash."
----
North-east of he Truden continent
War Temple headquarters
Zun imperial territory
A massive, glorious looking temple stood tall surrounded by beautiful gardens and tall statuses of valiant men and women who proved themselves to be warriors amongst warriors at crucial moments in history, giving those who walked by a melancholic but exciting feeling of the passage of time.
Deep underneath this temple, in a dim room. A group of people sat around a round table which had some seats empty. All except for one person wore medallions on their neck. They had imprints of a flaming sword pierced into a ferocious creature's neck.
"...ya. Are you listening Raya!" Raya slowly turned towards the man calling her.
The man signed in annoyance. "You have just joined the council, so i shall forgive your absentmindedness this time." A burly man in thick glowing runic armor growled.
He then said again gruffly. "Reports of multiple children missing had been made severally and it seems the adventurers are having a hard time solving this case.
Thorough investigations has been made and it can be estimated that this case is most likely linked to the cult 'Opus Mardi'.
From previously recorded events this usually happens whenever they planned to begin a large scale demon or devil summoning ritual.
We would now have to take over this case. With a few adventurers as support. We want you to lead this operation as our representative. Your team consist of a few young talented adventurers command them wisely. Do well to complete the mission as soon as possible. I also want you to know that this is also a test to see if you are worthy of a seat here." He said bluntly, handing out a document containing the information gathered so far to a servant, who then passed it to Raya sitting at the other side.
Raya glanced over the documents.
'The great northern forest.' She noted inwardly.
"Please, excuse me." She got up fluidly with her long hair swaying behind her, silently leaving the place.
"Tch! The meetings not even over yet." Uroth couldn't help but complain.
"You know she can't sit still. She's been like that ever since she was a little girl." A woman said smiling.
"Haha, just deal with it Uroth. As long as she proves herself i don't see a problem with her being here. In my opinion, beautiful girls are always welcome. Hahaha!" A man with a scar on his face laughed without care, incurring disdainful gazes from his fellow members.
Then a woman with lavender hair and purple eyes knocked on the table causing all of them to stop talking.
"Enough of that. The activities of Opus Mardi has increased in the north in recent months, and due to the recent strange events that has occurred around the continent, the church of Lumen has stretched their auxiliary forces thin to carryout disaster relief operations. We, as religious allies must do what we can to assist them."
She had a steady charismatic voice and a valiant aura that inspired others.
Her normal enchanted steel armor set which gleamed from the mana core lamp on the table looked rather shabby compared to the others, but from the respectful gazes the others gave her only a fool would undermine her.
She turned her gaze towards the one with the scar. "Dan. I need you to follow her secretly and make sure she doesn't do anything foolish..." Her eyes twitched a bit. "Like fighting the spider queen, the black dragon or any other outrageous beast."
Dan placed both hands on the table. "Ha!? Why do i have to be the one? Let Uroth go. You can see the way he worries about her like a grumpy old uncle!" Dan pointed at the burly man in thick runic armor.
Although, leering at the babe once in a while during the meeting is nice and all. But that didn't mean I would want to babysit her! I have a lot of responsibilities for Darius sakes!
She replied calmly. "You are a grade C ranger and the fastest among us. You should know who is more fitting to get her out of danger in that forest.
Furthermore, she is god's chosen one. We can't let her die. That is why we bent the rules and placed her on the council even though she had not gotten to the grade C realm. This is to keep a better eye on her."
She then took a letter and handed it to him. "Also, pass this onto Helor. I believe he should still be assisting the woodland elves with their tier 5 dungeon farm. But remember, don't let Raya out of your sights for too long."
Dan caressed his forehead helplessly.
"Alright, alright! I'll watch her." He raised his hands in resignation. He knew he couldn't nag too much or he'd get a beating.