When I arrived in Danmachi, the first thought I had, was how lucky I was, that I was given a whole damned set of metal tools and a small copper short sword that I could suck into my pocket space that I could see within my mind as a row of squares.
But once I began to walk the streets of Orario and just to test my abilities I gathered up some trash wooden planks that were left behind on a job site for an abandoned building and attempted to build a Terraria workbench, I realized that I was going to need help to use this cheat.
Going to craft the simple wooden workbench, I was only given the mental equivalent of a step-by-step guide on how to do it, and just because I had the wood didn't mean I had the tools to make said workbench even if the way it showed me, how I made it didn't need nails, I could still use nails to make said workbench much easier.
"I need a backing..." I muttered as I took in the three broken, not-at-all-working benches but as I went to break down the benches I couldn't at all. Like literally I used some frankly crappy wood to build it and I knew quite well that I could easily snap the thin wooden stubs with my hands or over my knee but no matter how I tried to break down the broken bench it simply wouldn't break.
"Wait let me try the pickaxe and axe," I muttered and after taking out the tools I learned that literally anything I crafted operated on the Terraria logic of laughing at the idea of durability if it wasn't a consumable but thankfully my tools seemed to bypass that very immutable state.
Staring at the pile of now pristine wooden slabs in my inventory I brushed my hands over my face as I considered how I could work towards joining a forging or some kind of architecture Familia as I needed training on how to make my stuff, I couldn't just waste weeks if not months attempting to make a single workbench that I would give up on in less than a single week of being an adventurer.
"Fuck it. I am going to the guild and seeing if I can join any crafting Familia's... Would joining Hestia be a good idea?" I mused before shaking my head as although she was a goddess of architecture she was pinning after Bell and frankly all their shenanigans seemed like a pain in the ass to get involved in as I could feel in the depths of my soul that if could craft Terraria item's then I could create boss summoning items and I didn't need Bell making it even worse with his bullshit luck.
"Ok, Jake. You got two options, a crafting Familia or an exploration-based one that could help you gather the shit you need later on..." I muttered before I realized that with the help of a crafting Familia that I could just make the weapons that will draw the exploration Familia to help me to begin with.
"Alright let's get going to the Guild," I said assured of my plan to try and join a crafting Familia.
Thankfully I was sent on this merry adventure in a collared long-sleeve shirt and some blue jeans, so I didn't feel like too much of an outlier in the Guild but then again half of the people here were dressed in fantasy clothes which went as far as the Guild workers being in full business suits attire to the Barbarian Men in loincloths or Amazons wearing silk like almost see through clothes that hid nothing of their figure.
Finally, I noticed one line was all but empty due to its receptionist being a beautiful red-haired wolf girl had her cold eyes practically staring daggers at all the adventurers, so she was practically left alone with only a couple of adventures quickly emptying their sacks of monster cores to get paid.
Hoping I wasn't doing the wrong thing just walking up to the receptionist and having needed to set up an appointment or something I entered her line and after the last guy quickly scurried away with his money under her cold eyes, I asked her where I could find a crafting Familia looking for new members. "Hello, I am new to Orario and was wondering if you could point me towards a Familia that is focused on crafting and recruiting?"
Hearing my question, the woman blinked, and her cold eyes softened a bit taking me in. "Ah, a blacksmith hopeful?" She asked looking at my arms in particular and my face twitched as although I wasn't scrawny or fat, I certainly didn't have the corded muscle that came from a blacksmithing background.
"Ah just crafting in general. I don't plan on trying to join Hephaestus or Goibniu I just want a Familia I can apply myself and learn a trade." I explained not wanting to get stuck in the hyper-competitive Familia of Hephaestus that was trying to earn their goddess's approval.
"Hmm... There is a brand-new goddess who has arrived here in Orario a few weeks ago and just got all her paperwork set up and got a building for her Familia that fits your criteria perfectly and best of all the goddess is rated to be among the more reasonable ones. Hmm yes, her name was Seshat," The guild receptionist explained, and I nodded in understanding.
"Well seeing as you aren't formally signing up as an adventurer yet, here is a small map to her workshop she has set up, come back when you decide to jump into the death trap that is the dungeon." Ah now I remember who she was, she was Ais's advisor back when she was younger. Rose Fannett, I believe her name was.
"Alright, thank you for your time," I said respectfully nodding to her and then I got out of the much more filled line as Rose had softened up when she was talking to me and then I literally saw a couple people actually leave her line as the scarlet haired dog girl turned back on her icy persona and begin taking peoples monster drops again.
Leaving the Guild, I looked down on my map and saw that at the center of the map was the Guild building, and across the map were several buildings of note like Hephaestus's shops, Loki's Familia manor, Freya Familia manor, and just generally a number of Orario landmarks and smack dab on the other side of the damned city was a large X that supposedly Seshat was living in.
'Well let's hope I don't get lost.' I thought and what do you know, I did just that as the business district the goddess that was recommended to me was a damned maze of small alleys and finally, I began stopping people for directions for Seshat's Perch which was the name of the hobbyist store the goddess was running.
"Oh, that nice goddess, yeah she is running a shop just down there and into the alley with the massive bushes in front of it. It kind of hides it but she has a heavy smell always following her which wards off people attempting to join her Familia." The guy I was questioning explained and my face twitched as I thought the Goddess was some dumpy nasty goddess of filth or something as I didn't know jack about the goddess named Seshat nor what her divine symbol looked like.
A couple minutes later I arrived at the so-called hobby shop and could only deadpan so hard that my damned eyebrows hurt... "This is a fucking dispensary." I cursed seeing the literal marijuana plant bushes in front of Seshat's store not to mention the thick 'skunk' smell that came from all the weed being smoked around here.
'Wait... This is a hippie hobby shop, no wonder no one would join this Familia.' I bemoaned at wasting the entire day as even if Seshat was the perfect goddess, if she wanted her Familia members to have nothing to do with the dungeon for its violence and harsh vibes then no one in Orario would join her as the whole damned city revolved around that death trap.
"Let's go try the guild again," I muttered as I turned around not wanting to put my life and future into a goddess who was probably only a step away from Soma.
"Hoh, I didn't believe mortals gave up so easily." A voice reached my ears even a couple dozen meters from the goddess's store and I realized I may have insulted or worse gathered her interest with how I clearly was looking for her shop but then after some thinking and muttering turned away to leave the way I had come.
"Lady Seshat, I merely turned the wrong way, please excuse me and have a wonderful day," I said bowing towards the building and only received a throaty chuckle in response before her velvet voice reached me again.
"Come in lost child, not of this world, I wish to see your fate up close." Hearing her words, I was this close to sprinting off, but I decided fuck it... I was already dropped into this world with no warning, the worst she could do is tell other gods I was foreign to this world and by that time I could flee Orario and take up some apprenticeship in another city where gods and Goddesses aren't on every other street corner.
Wordlessly I approached her building and as I closed in, I saw how much of a marvel it was, and from the barebones knowledge I had of acoustics, I saw the building had tiny pipes built into the brickwork that would probably carry sound or something.
Not to mention despite the other buildings looking rather run down I saw practically every stone that made up the building was polished and even the mortar that held together the building was of a pleasing ivory color and looked to be smooth to the touch.
I just focused on the marijuana plants in the front of the building and I kind of felt a bit bad about it now.
"Hmm, I see realization and regret in your eyes, how quaint..." The voice purred and it truly was a purr when I entered the darkened front room, I saw like a queen would overlook their subjects was a heart-stopping beauty with mocha skin and more importantly sharply angled cat ears atop her ebony tresses of hair that was streaked with some gold strands that broke apart the almost midnight black hair.
As I regathered myself from the sight of the goddess, I noticed that I couldn't smell the weed at all from the inside, and seeing me smell, the goddess merely tittered again, and I saw a black and gold-covered leopard tail flick from behind her seemingly in amusement.
"Your stars... Do not fit within this worlds star system of course." Sesha cursed after likewise staring at me and I realized she might have had some kind of prophetic seer ability like how Freya could see souls even in her limited mortal form.
"May I close the door for this conversation?" I asked dryly and the goddess huffed and then she pulled a string which made me move quickly out of the way as a massive almost vault-like door silently swung through the air suspended only on some strings that Seshat was maneuvering from her long couch she was laying upon.
"Satisfied? No actually why are you here anyway child haaa?" Seshat asked demonstrating her cat-like nature in wanting to sleep I guessed.
"Well originally I wanted to see if you were worthy, frankly of me joining your Familia and then going from there I would do so... But now I am wondering if I can get answers about how many other deities will notice or care about me being thrown into this world against my will and most importantly whether I need to flee," I spoke candidly as I took a small stool for a seat making Seshat huff and groan.
Seshat then sat up and I was able to fully take her in fully, coming to the realization that Seshat with her darker skin and now the rather scant almost Egyptian-style clothes marked her being a part of the Egyptian pantheon. Sesha was wearing a golden top that covered her fairly hefty-sized breasts but left her sculpted stomach bare and she was finally wearing a skirt that seemed to be dozens of layers of thin silk that would obscure what was beneath except where it was pulled taunt.
"Do you know me mortal from beyond these stars?" She asked suddenly and I shook my head. "Say it. Speak the truth." She said with her golden eyes tightening in their slit forms.
"Look Seshat I literally never heard of you before today. Hell, I literally was just dropped into this world less than an hour or two ago. I was just told by the guild that you were rated to be rather reasonable and more importantly my name is Jake Bariss, quit just calling me mortal." I said throwing my hands up a bit making Sesha giggle.
"Fine Jake. So, what makes 'you' worthy of joining my Familia." She said leadingly and I realized I may have fucked up when I said I came here to see if she was worthy of joining. as that came off as an extremely arrogant move.
"I apologize for the way I said that... I have certain abilities that will lend to possibly making me quite powerful in the dungeon and just generally very powerful." I said as I realized all the magic items, I could craft not to mention how I could craft accessories that can give weaker skills to people.
Seshat hummed and gave me a very interested look hearing that, as all deities came down to Genkai to find the burning stars within the mortal races and watch their stories.
"Wait! Don't tell me! You have unlimited mana or some kind of super regeneration!" Seshat threw out excitedly with her leopard tail swishing back and further behind her excitedly and my face twitched as I shook my head.
"You can teleport even in the dungeon? You can make mortals fall in love with you despite your slightly above mediocre face at will?" She continued excitedly and now I was deadpanning at her dumbass.
"No... Actually, seeing as you don't want me to tell you how about I just keep it a secret." I teased and her tail went ramrod straight as she hissed at me.
"You a mortal dares, to withhold information from this divine scribe!?" She truly looked affronted and offended so I grinned and nodded.
"I Jake Bariss will freely say this, the cheat I have is better than anything else you have seen or heard of down here in Genkai in its sheer breadth of its influence that it can bring to Orario," I said gleefully as even with normal Terraria stuff once I get to hard mode weapons and shit... Yeah, Hephaestus will demand to have my children should she see the Zenith or even just the Terra Blade.
"I know you aren't lying to me... Fine! I will allow you the honor of scratching my ears and rubbing my belly when you join my Familia!" Seshat said as though it was some great sacrifice and I wanted to point out that getting a good belly rub and head scratches should be worth more to her but then I remembered how cats even if you gave them the perfect belly rub, they would still bite the shit out of you for daring to take liberties in rubbing for too long.
"Alright, so how are we doing this?" I asked after a moment of silence after the cat girl goddess recollected herself.
"Hmm let us retire to my solar, from there I can still hear any customers come in and I can enjoy the sun warming my mortal frame." Seshat mused as she gracefully slipped off her perch and then her deceptively strong tail wrapped around my wrist and began pulling me along behind the goddess.
The goddess known as Seshat then led me up a small flight of stairs and then after going down a small hallway she pushed open a door and then I was met with a flood of light as the solar room definitely lived up to its name as the roof of the room had glass panels that seemingly magnified the sun's rays coming in from above and then the goddess had her admittedly soft tail let go of my wrist as she pointed at a large disordering pile of blankets on one of the large circular cushions littering the room.
"Take off your shirt and go lay down on that bedding. You will be sleeping here as well seeing as the other four rooms in the building are my personal bedroom, a kitchen, the workshop, and of course the storefront." Seshat explained and I nodded honestly just thankful I didn't have to sleep outside or something.
Wordlessly I took off my shirt and then lay upon the pile of blankets, and the thick cushion, waiting for my soon-to-be personal goddess to mark me with her divine sigil.
"Don't worry this won't hurt you a bit." She muttered giving my shoulder a squeeze as I slightly jumped feeling the goddess sitting atop my thighs so she could hunch over to presumably engrave my Falna onto my very soul.
With the goddess so close and my face lying atop her blankets, I could smell the sun-warmed fabrics and more clearly recognize her honey and cinnamon-like scent that she carried.
Then I could only describe the sensation of feeling like a cold syringe being injected into my body as I felt the drop of divine blood Seshat used to make the connection between us seemingly merge into my whole body and then I heard Seshat exclaim in wonder as she was working through my Falna before coughing as she pinched me. "What the fuck is a Terraria Mod and why can you only get one per level instead of development abilities?!" She asked pinching my side to the point of making me squirm not out of pain but in surprise.
"It has to do with my cheat!" I explained and then went on to explain how I had the knowledge of an entire crafting tech/magic tree sort of downloaded into my mind, but I needed help learning how to make stuff in general, and not to mention the tools to do such things.
"There are literally thousands of these damned mods?!" Which one do you even want to take?" She asked completely overwhelmed due to the information in my Falna and then after a moment of thought I realized in the end if you were going to play modded Terraria, there was one mod above all others you typically added to give more content and better stuff as I made sure to ask if there were straight up cheat mods which unfortunately there weren't.
"Download the Calamity mod," I said after a moment of thought as I realized that after I get Calamity mod, I could get crafting recipes for most weapons that were drop exclusive and while she was scanning the mods, I could get a sense of what they could do, and the Calamity mod had all its side mods as well except for cheat mods like the damned Dragon Ball Z mod that will not be spoken of.
For a moment I felt her freeze and then she asked me very dryly. "And what does this calamity mod give you? Will it allow you to make some monsters that will resemble the beasts of calamity that escaped the dungeon?"
"Uhhhhm nope, they will be weaker?" I answered weakly as I had little clue as to how strong even the so-called weaker bosses in per-hard mode in real life would be. As I have seen the Eye of Cthulhu and it was a massive scary eldritch monster that gave me nightmares.
"Fine! At least you will bring me entertainment and the only real reason I accepted you into my Familia is because I cannot see your fate... Watching you mortals grow is boring when I see your ultimate end anyway." Sesha muttered and then I twitched as I felt the Calamity mod be installed and then heard a little mental ding as a goodie bag was dropped into my inventory.
"Is that why you have no Familia members?" I asked as Sesha crawled off of me and just face-planted in the warm covers a bit away from me and she silently nodded, not answering any further.
"Sooo... When can you teach me some woodworking for me to get started as it were." I asked after a few minutes after just relaxing into the nice warm blankets.
"Ughhhh... Fine, let's get you started then." Sesha muttered and then she once again wrapped up her tail around my wrist as she dragged me across her building to the back workshop to hopefully begin teaching me how I could make myself a wooden workbench so I could in turn keeping working and make an anvil and a furnace so I could go into the dungeon with a full set of metal armor and a decent weapon.