"So....any question?"
"... What are the gods?"
"Depends... The real ones, the "real" ones or the phylosofical ones? "
"... What?... "
" puipuipipipi. Sorry, force of habit.
Alright, I'll explain. In this world there are three types of gods, the real ones.
*murmurs* that I will kill one of this days
The fake ones, or "real" , that are usually some bored dragon, Phoenix or other kind of spirit tricking humans.
And lastly the philosophical ones.... Who are just plane non existant, made up by some drunk bastard. Any question? "
"... Other than that murmur?"
"Obviously not! I said I'll kill those guys!
Listen... I know you are a good kid, but there is something I need to tell you..."
Afterwards he gazed intensely into my eyes and said
"If you find yourself one day powerful enough to do it.... Stick a knife up some gods ass, which God? Doesn't matter.... JUST DO IT!"
"..."
'He's smiling at me?'
At least that's what it seemed like, but it's hard to understand with his face in the way... It's too ugly to focus.
"Damn... Thats hurtful."
"Sorry, forgot you can read my mind."
"BULS-"
"SO ABOUT MY QUESTION! Why where dragons and everything else considered spirits? Also, are there any of our kind passing as gods?"
"No there aren't, we lack rye ability to share our power even at higher levels except with people with a very close bound with us.
And even that can only be accomplished by someone with a skillset specialized in the path of mental magic like Monika, the mother of the spider you fough last time.
It's one of the reasons why the incompetent races say we don't cooperate with others."
" Wasn't Monika specialized in poisons? "
" Basic magic = poison, Advanced magic = charm and mentality is the conseptual magic she unlocked at her last evolution.
Just like you specialized into the corrosive/offensive side of poison with curse magic, she specialized into the mind numbing effects of it. "
" I see, what about the spirits? "
" Well, our species is more than just... 'monsters capable of evolving' as you probably alredy know.
We have a history dating far back, we have a culture in how we do stuff.... GOD'S BE DAMNED we even have cities!
My main body is perched in one of them! And what a beautiful thing it is! "
" The city? "
"NO! PUIPUIPIPIPI. MY BODY! PUIPUIPIPIPI
But seriously now, even tough we are more than monsters capable of evolution, that's what others know us for.
Dragons, Phoenixs and all those other boring things? Yeah, born with mid to high powers, never go beyond that in their life. At least they are smart.
Their origin really depends, some are creatures that naturally evolved to fit the mana in the environment over millions of years . "
At that he looked at the crab/bug/spider crystal things on the northeast island.
Like... Those crystal bugs. Most members of a spirit race have different forms, but the mold is all the same.
Water dragons, fire dragons, whatever dragon? All the same.
No variation, no evolution, no future as a species unless someone comes along to shake things up. We call that a 'dead species'.
Why? Cause a species that stagnate will die. Ironically no one knows that better than the 'superior species'.
Just look at that village over there! They only lost their shaman yet they are alredy trying to adapt by coming under you! "
" Wait I'm confused. "
" mhmmm.... Let's try like this.
Are they smart from birth and can use magic from all elements? Retarded *cough* superior races.
Are they braindead from birth yet can evolve and reach the highest? Parmians or monsters
Are they born intelligent yet can only use the mana in their environment , or sometimes none at all? Spirits or 'dead species'
Are they both dumb and weak like those crystal bugs? Beasts"
"You never mentioned beats?"
"Yeah they aren't really a rank, just beings so weak, it's shameful to put them in the same group as dragons."
"hmmm"
I see, so this spirits share their power with humans making them think that they are actual deities.
"What about priests? Are they actually as strong as they say?"
"A 'real' religion's priest is limited by the strength of whatever spirit is at the helm.
Their powers will be limited to that one element and their strength to that spirit's. While trublessom, to the current you it's still OK.
Real priests tough.... They are monsters above any monster you'll ever face.
There are only 13 of them, yet they still managed to make the word priest equate absolute power and violence in this whole land.
They are madman who get stronger the more they believe in their gods *sigh*.
And in a world where 'superior races' have to relly on mob tactics and reproduction speed to survive... Believing is not hard, not hard at all. "
'He looks... Pensive? Not quite... '
" What are you thinking about Ashtar? "
"... Have you ever asked yourself about trees? About rivers?... Normal water ones not the poison ones you like... "
I waited for him to finish
"..."
" They used to exist everywhere here, yet it all vanished because the gods sent their priests to kill us.. Fearing we could do what our ancestors couldn't."
" This desert used to be a forest? "
" Desert? No... No..no...this planet."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, this whole planet... It's a desert, the parts that aren't? Are either ocean, land that flooded by a tsunami or active Volcanos.
Thats part of what makes you being a cactus, a species specialized in surviving in harsh conditions so important for me... You'll be useful in the future.
So if I ever trick you again? Yeah.... Please don't be mad, our species situation, doesn't allow for feelings... Not when you're still weak."