With my presence looming over the dead slug, a system notification popped up.
*Ding!*
[The system congratulates the user on their successful first kill!]
[The user's title: [The First] is now in effect. The user has received +800 EXP!]
[The user has leveled up and has officially unlocked the Quest Feature!]
[Name]: [Elaira Webb]
[Level]: [3/10]
[Title]: [The First]
[EXP]: [0/1000]
[Race]: [Lunar Firefly]
[Monster Species]: [Lampyridaetra Medica]
[Stage]: [Larva]
[HP]: [20/20]
[MP]: [62/320]
[STR]: [20]
[VIT]: [20]
[DEX]: [20]
[AGI]: [20]
[INT]: [50]
[WIS]: [50]
[LUC]: [--/--]
[Skills]: [Prey Detection: Lv1], [Strong Bite: Lv1], [Poison Injection: Lv1], [Light Magic: Lv1, [Inspect: Lv1], [Mana Detection: Lv1], [Mana Absorption: Lv3]
[Skill Points: 20] [Stat Points: 20]
Now this is just absurd.
How the heck can someone level up three times in one night? Not that I'm complaining though. But holy shit! Is this how easy it is to level up in games? Damn. No wonder why Haley liked video games. This feels addicting!
So let me guess, if I do something for the first time, which will always be successful due to my Beginner's Luck passive, I receive an equal amount of exp enough for my next level up?
*Ding!*
[Exactly!]
Woah. Now that's OP.
And "Quest Feature"? How do I open it?
*Ding!*
[To open the Quest Menu, say, think, or shout, "Quest Menu".]
"Quest Menu," I whispered after reading the procedure.
In an instant, another system screen appeared in front of me. Only this time, it's a lot more different.
*Ding!*
[Current Quests]:
• [Hunt and eat 10 prey]: [Progress: 1/10]
[Reward]: [5000 exp]
• [Let Lux reach level 20]: [Progress: 1/20]
[Reward]: [Skill: Shared Senses Lv1]
• [Reach level 10]: [Progress: 3/10]
[Reward]: [Larvalith stage]
Oh, so these quests give me rewards for completing them. Hmm, let's see...
It appears that the most doable one right now is to hunt and eat prey quest. Oh God, I hope I still have the motivation to do so after I attempt to eat this disgusting thing.
With my new level up, I once again felt my whole body get stronger. Not only physically but also mentally. My mind feels a lot more clearer than earlier.
I also gathered up both 20 stat points and skill points so that's a win. I'll probably spend 10 skill points for light magic, and the rest is for emergencies.
*Ding!*
[10 skill points have been spent on [Light Magic: Lv1] > [Light Magi: Lv11]!]
Okay! Now let's chow this big boy down and hopefully, it's not too bad.
Moving closer to the dead slug, I gulped down.
It doesn't look very appetizing. As a matter of fact, I think I'm about to puke. It looks gamey, slimy, and very gross. I would much rather eat frogs than this. But beggars can't be choosers.
And as I said earlier, even though I gave up halfway, I'm not a person who's easy to back down. I may hesitate but I won't give up this time.
Looking away, I opened my jaws and moved my head closer to the slug. Eugh, I can smell its burnt flesh right now and it's not helping with the situation.
Soon enough, I felt my jaws hitting its soft flesh. Exhaling deeply, I took a bit without looking. The slug's meat was a bit stretchy so I had to pull back and rip it up with a snap.
Attempting to contain my urge to gag, I chewed rapidly and swallowed.
...
Wait...!
What!? Holy shit that doesn't taste as bad as I thought! Actually, it's not bad at all! It tastes like pork actually!
Wow, this was unexpected. I was hoping for it to taste horrible but damn it's unexpectedly amazing.
Turning my head to the slug, its carcass was still there, but now it looked less disgusting.
Using my stick arms, I pinched its flesh and cut with my jaws. Looking closely at its brown meat, I noticed the pool of purple poison that was sizzling on the log.
Shit, this might be sickening but I kinda feel the urge to dip this meat in the poison. I mean, I hope it won't taste that bad. I'm immune to it, as I recall, so it's fine, I think.
Exhaling deeply once more, I slowly dipped the meat into the purple poison. Upon contact, the meat emitted what seemed to be a sizzling sound.
Lifting it up, I saw that the meat was bubbling as it was slowly liquefying.
Ever so carefully, I placed the meat onto my jaws and chewed quickly before swallowing.
...
No way...!
WHOA!!! WHAT WAS THAT FLAVOR?!
Just as I hoped, the poison was really good! It tastes exactly like BBQ sauce! It's a bit spicy and has that kick into it.
I hate to admit it but dang that's delicious.
Shifting my eyes to the carcass, I chowed it down aggressively. This is my first meal in this world and it did not disappoint.
The slug was chewy without the poison and it was rather good. But if you add the poison in, it melts in your mouth, letting you savor its spicy meaty goodness. I could eat this forever!
As I aggressively ate, Lux was there at my side looking happily. He seems to enjoy watching me eat up to my heart's content like a pure glutton.
He's such a cutie.
In less than a few minutes, I was done feasting. Moving my body to sit down after that intense meal, I breathed with glee. Staring at the log where the slug once was, I found myself burping in satisfaction.
On my side, I could see Lux wiggling. He seems happy too.
The moment I looked at him, he flew in front of me and stopped right at my face. He stayed floating there for a few seconds as if waiting for something.
"Hm? What's the matter, Lux?" I asked him, confused about what he was on about.
Lux, in response, wiggled his flame body. His glow dimmed and shone again. Is he communicating with me?
"Are you cold?" I asked, but the response I got was his light dying a bit. Was I wrong?
"Are you perhaps mad that I ate it all and didn't leave you some?" I questioned once more but he only got dimmer.
Wait, is he perhaps...
"Hungry?"
With this question escaping from me, his light shone brightly.
Hmm, let me see your status.
[Name]: [Lux]
[Level]: [1/20]
[Sex]: [Male]
[Title]: [N/A]
[EXP]: [0/50]
[Race]: [Lumina Wisp]
[Monster Species]: [Luminisphera Luminae]
[Stage]: [Infant]
[HP]: [5/5]
[MP]: [401/500]
[STR]: [5]
[VIT]: [10]
[DEX]: [5]
[AGI]: [20]
[INT]: [10]
[WIS]: [50]
[LUC]: [--/--]
[Skills]: [Light Magic: Lv1], [Illusion Casting: Lv1], [Light Shield: Lv1] [Tangibility Shifting: Lv1]
Hm, healing me earlier must've cost you 9 MP. You only healed me three times so every 1 HP is equivalent to 3 MP.
So it seems that I was right. Healing me earlier made him hungry too. He just patched me up after all.
So how does feeding you work, Lux?
*Ding!*
[To feed a Lumina Wisp, one should have direct skin contact with it. Naturally, the Wisp will absorb mana until it is satisfied.]
Oh, just like your core! Well, let me check my MP first.
*Ding!*
[MP]: [97/320]
There should be enough. I just hope Lux wouldn't milk me dry just like he did earlier with his core.
"Okay, Lux! Let's get you fed!" I exclaimed and extended my arm towards him.
Happily, he floated closer and touched my arm with his body. Soon, I felt him suck away my mana. As usual, this feels weird, but it's not too bad.
In less than a second, Lux moved away from my arm. He then circled in joy. What? He got full after eating only...
[MP]: [88/320]
9?
Oh! I get it now! He needs to eat up the same amount of mana he spent!
Hm... can't he just absorb mana naturally though?
*Ding!*
[Wild Wisps naturally absorb mana after using spells. But Lux is special since he is a companion. If he decides to use spells for the benefit of the user, then the user is inclined to feed him the same amount of mana he spent. However, the same cannot be said for the spells he does solely for himself.]
Oh, now that makes more sense. Wow, this is quite intricate and very cool. Lux, you're so cool!
I thought as I caressed Lux, to which he responded by rubbing himself to me happily. Haha!
*Ding!*
[A prey is currently present on the map! Please proceed carefully to complete the quest: [Hunt and eat 10 prey]!]
Seems like this forest has a whole buffet for me. Not that I'm complaining though!
*****
In a pure white room, a long wide table was to be seen resting. On both sides of the table, it had five chairs, three on the left, and two on the right. Each of these chair were made of different materials.
One was made purely out of wood. It is adorned with intricate curves and engravings of flowers and beasts. It's embedded with flowers, vines, and floating orbs to be seen around it. In the said chair, there was an elegant lady who wore clothing best described as a giant angel's trumpet flower with its tips laced with a green pigment. Its sleeves also presently hold the same features.
The woman in question is none other than the Goddess of Life: Vita.
Beside her was a man who looked like he was in his twenties, wearing a formal black tuxedo. His hair combed in a way that made him look dashingly handsome even while wearing a pure worried expression. He sat in a chair which looked more like a throne. It was designed with skulls and bones of various creatures. Some belonged to present animals, and some belonged to the extinct category. There he sat with his arms on the table, hands fidgeting nervously.
And this man is none other than Death himself. Azrael.
In front of the man, at the other side of the table was a woman with a scornful expression. Her black hair fell gracefully on her silk black sleeveless dress. With her legs crossed, she sat in a chair that didn't even look solid due to it only looking like a dark mist. The smoke flowed slowly on the pure white floor, eventually dissipating. Contrary to her dark clothing, her white complexion made her dress look like it had a dark glow.
Her whole aesthetic fits her perfectly. She is the Goddess of Darkness, after all. And her name is Nox.
On her left was an empty solid white marble chair. It was clean and neat but it bore the feeling that it wasn't used in ages.
On her right, a child was to be seen with her head down. It was obvious that she had been crying due to her constant sniffing. She sat on a chair which was best visualized to be a huge iridescent crystal. Inside the crystal was what you could describe as what's inside of a kaleidoscope. With the white room, the crystal's surface reflected multiple different colored lights, all of which were mesmerizing.
The said child is none other than the Goddess which is responsible for the past, present, and future. And her name is Fate.
And at the end of the table was an old man. He sat on a solid stone throne. His arms are crossed, just like a father waiting for an explanation. His aura exuded pure dominance and authority, but it also held a sense of care and love in it.
He is the God of Creation, after all. The father of all. The one and only Hava.
The room is covered in silence aside from Fate's constant sniffles.
Clearing her throat, Vita broke the silence.
"Ehem, staying in silence like this doesn't really answer the questions in our heads you know?" She asked with a warm smile.
Sighing, Nox agreed and said, "Vita's right. We should get into it. Firstly, Azrael. What in the actual heck happened?"
"Just like what I said earlier, my dearest sister, I ALSO DO NOT KNOW!" Azrael shouted at Nox, to which she shouted back,
"HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW?! YOU'RE THE GOD OF DEATH! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KNOW!"
"UWAAAAH!!!" Fate cried on the side after seeing her big brother and big sister fight once more.
Laughing nervously, Vita nudged her father, Hava, to the side. "You're the father, calm the situation down."
Reacting quickly, Hava cleared his throat and said, "Now everyone please calm down—"
"FATHER! HOW CAN WE CALM DOWN AFTER WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER?! AND SISTER VITA, HOW CAN YOU BE SO FINE WITH THIS?!" Nox shouted. She was truly enraged.
She's tired, and probably can't use her power that much in less than a few days after transferring a soul to another dimension.
It takes immense effort to travel dimensions, more or less with a soul not meant to be there. It's a feat not easily achieved.
Standing, Vita pulled a pitcher full of apple juice and a mug out of thin air and poured a drink for Fate who was still sobbing. "Nox, there's no use getting angry about it anymore. What's done is done." Vita calmly answered the angry Nox.
"Hooh... Tsk, okay I am not angry about that, you know? What's pissing me off is how oblivious we are about the whole situation! This could be our death sentence for all we know." Nox retaliated. She was worried about everything. About them.
Scratching her head, she added, "I'm just worried. I-I know I'm acting crazy. It's just that I'm scared... after what happened to—"
"Nox, please. It's been hard for all of us. Especially for you. But we have to move on and face what's in front of us." Vita cut her off before she could even finish speaking.
Lifting Fate up from her chair, Vita made her sit down on Hava's lap to calm her down as she sipped her apple juice. "Besides, we've developed countermeasures to prevent occurrences like what we experienced before from happening. We're safe. We should focus on the human named Elaira Webb right now." Vita added.
Finally calming down, Nox looked at Vita with an apologetic look and said,"...You're right. I'm sorry, for shouting earlier. Also to you too, Az."
Shaking his head, Azrael answered, "It's okay. You're just as worried as I am."
He was also pretty nervous about what's happening. His mind keeps racing. Thinking of things that'll happen to them with the appearance of Elaira Webb's soul.
Finally seeing that her big brother and sister have made up, Fate asked curiously, "So we don't know how that lady's soul could make our powers not work?"
Sighing, Azrael turned his head to Fate and said, solemnly, "Yes. We're still puzzled. Oh, dear what have we become? Gods who're powerless against a human's soul? Hah... and we're supposed to be deities. What an embarrassment."
Raising her head to look at Fate, Nox asked, "Fate, have you tried seeing her future now that she's in the other world?"
But Fate only responded with, "I'm sorry, big sister, I tried and tried earlier but all I saw was nothing. It was only pure darkness. She... has no decided future..."
With this answer, the whole room is met with quietness once more.
That was until someone spoke up.
"I think I have an idea about what's happening," Hava said, breaking his silence. He was waiting for the right opportunity to speak, and now that it has arrived, he took advantage of it.
"What do you mean, father?" Nox asked, her heart beating nervously. She doesn't know what her old man might say. Heck, he might say that it was all just a prank.
Or worse, he might even tell them that the end is near and Elaira's soul was the premonition.
"Does everyone still remember? In her last words, that human said something which shocked all of us. Fireflies. Because of that, I remembered something. Something your sister told us before she perished." Hava explained.
Now with his explanation, everyone was on the edge of their seats. They all knew what he was about to say.
"No..." Nox said shaking her head, tears welling up from her eyes.
"Father...!" Vita exclaimed as she covered her mouth with shaky hands.
"No, y-you can't be serious," Azrael said, covering his face, bracing for the news.
Knowing the future, Fate knew what her Dad would say and started to cry again.
"Elaira Webb's soul might be what your sister promised. Her soul might be the vessel." He said, finally looking at his children dead in the eyes.
"Elaira Webb might be Lumine's vessel."