"Thank you for your gift, Your Majesty the Goddess."
Facing Wayne's thanks, the Goddess of the Lake showed a smile and said in a melodious voice: "There is no need to be polite, warrior, this is a reward for your bravery against the evil god. It is precisely because there are warriors like you in the world that the plot of the evil god has not succeeded."
Wayne's tone was sincere, and he really thanked the goddess sincerely. The holy water healed the hidden wounds in his body, not to mention other hidden benefits, just his physical strength was improved by adding five points to all attributes, which was almost equivalent to the effect he could only achieve by upgrading five levels.
The physical strength of witchers is basically fixed after they complete the various trials during their apprenticeship period, and there will be no further growth.
What can make them grow again, apart from the system like Wayne's, is the second mutation experiment hidden in the Toussaint ruins, which can help them go further. It can be said that being able to drink the holy water of the goddess of the lake can greatly improve his strength. This kind of thing has only been heard in legends. It must be a very rare blessing.
Perhaps, the biggest enemy that the goddess of the lake wants to deal with at present is the evil god Dagan who is occupying her waters, so she values him so much and is willing to help him in dealing with the evil god.
Wayne pondered for a few seconds and realized he could leverage his identity as a witcher to gain greater benefits from the goddess.
He bowed his head slightly in tribute to the goddess and spoke loudly, "Your Majesty, you may already know that I am a witcher. Our main job is to accept commissions and eradicate those monsters that endanger life. Obviously, the so-called evil god Dagon is such an evil thing that needs to be eradicated. If you are willing to entrust me to eradicate this evil thing, then this evil god Dagon will become my enemy. Although I may not be able to deal with it for the time being, I believe that one day in the future, I will be able to eradicate it completely."
The Goddess of the Lake seemed surprised by Wayne's words, but then a beautiful smile appeared on her face. She looked into Wayne's eyes with a hazy gaze, opened her red lips lightly, and said, "I've heard about the rules of conduct of your wolf school witchers, but I never thought that you would be willing to take risks against an evil god. This is a very dangerous commission. You may have to sacrifice your life in this, warrior. I hope you will consider it carefully."
Noticing that the Goddess of the Lake did not reject his proposal, but only asked him to consider it carefully, Wayne understood that there was merit to his proposition. He responded in a more determined tone, "I've thought it through very clearly, Your Excellency. As a witcher, I'm not afraid of danger. As long as the reward is right, I'm willing to undertake more meaningful commissions."
Upon hearing these words, the goddess's eyes flickered, and her voice sounded more joyful. She stretched out her white and slender palm, caressed Wayne's face, and said, "Your noble courage delights me, champion."
"If you can help me defeat the evil god Dagon, I will definitely not disappoint my warriors, and I will definitely reward you generously," stated the goddess of the lake.
As the voice of the goddess of the lake fell, Wayne also heard the expected system prompt.
Ding! Task trigger. [Defeat Evil God Dagon] Master level.
Accept/Decline
As expected, it was a master-level task. Wayne was overjoyed and immediately chose to accept it.
Anyway, the task he received has no time limit, even if he completes the task ten years later, his reward will not be reduced.
But soon, Wayne noticed another problem. The task name on the system showed defeating the evil god Dagon, not destroying the evil god Dagon. And even defeating the evil god Dagon is a master-level task. Obviously, this evil god who can be regarded as an enemy by the goddess of the lake is not an inconspicuous little boss like in the game.
However, this is not something he has to consider now. Before his strength is strong enough, he will not take the liberty to challenge the evil god Dagon.
"In that case, Your Excellency, I accept this commission."
But no matter when this promise will be fulfilled, the current Wayne looks resolute, quite a kind of heroism and generosity of ancient warriors when they crusade against demons, and they are not afraid of death.
It made the eyes of the little guy on the side shine brightly, that little expression of admiration looked quite ugly and cute.
The Goddess of the Lake also seemed to be infected by Wayne's aura, with a heartwarming smile on her face, she wrapped her long hair around her fair fingers a few times, and then tore off that strand of her hair.
As the goddess handed Wayne the strand of her hair, it transformed into a golden ring. With a smile, she said, "I'm eager to see what you'll accomplish, Warrior. Consider this ring as a gift and blessing to you. Wear it, and you'll be shielded from curses and diseases, while good luck follows you. Should you ever need my assistance, simply place this ring in the lake and call out to me, I'll be there."
Wayne accepted the ring with gratitude, placing it on his right pinky finger under the goddess's watchful gaze. With nothing more to add, the goddess turned her attention to Lala beside Wayne. She reached out, stroking Lala's head gently, and said, "Lala, you'll stay here for now. You've got a knack for magic, and during this time, I'll teach you a thing or two."
Excitedly, Lala nodded, responding, "No problem, Lady Goddess. I'll happily learn from you." It was evident that the goddess had taken a liking to Lala, evident from the colorful conch she gifted her. With warmth in her voice, she said, "Lala, you seem exhausted. Rest for now, and we'll begin our lessons once you wake up." Feeling the weariness settle in, Lala yawned and nodded in agreement, finding a cozy spot by the lake to settle down and sleep.
Seeing this scene, Wayne also knew that it was time to say goodbye. He bowed slightly to the goddess and then said softly under the gaze of the lady:
"Your Majesty, it's already late. Please allow me to take my leave temporarily. I will keep the crusade against the evil god Dagan in mind. Once I have the opportunity, I will deal with this evil force until I complete your commission."
The Goddess of the Lake nodded gently, then leaned over and kissed Wayne's forehead, and said with a smile:
"I await good news from you, young warrior. But please also pay attention to safety. We all have a long lifespan and have enough time to deal with this matter. Don't be too impulsive."
Wayne nodded respectfully, then looked at the goddess with admiring eyes for a few seconds, then turned and left the forest. Until his figure completely disappeared, the Fisher King who had been silent all this time suddenly spoke and said:
"Goddess, I don't quite understand why you gave the water of the Holy Grail to this young witcher, because the holy water is so precious. The achievements he has made cannot match such glory."
The goddess of the lake was silent for a second or two, and then said in her ethereal and moving voice:
"This young witcher is also a child of destiny. His every move affects the future of the world. Unlike ordinary people with predetermined destiny, his destiny is full of uncertainty. Although I can't see his fate clearly, I believe that if he feels more kindness in his life, in the future, he will also give this happiness to other people in the world."