Morning approached quickly, and Sally was the last one up, something Dagi easily noticed. "You doing ok? I usually don't have to wake you."
Sally smiled. "I'm fine don't worry about it." Dagi shrugged, joining the other ladies in packing up for the journey.
The sun rose steadily in the sky, casting a warm glow over the forest as Sally and her companions finished packing up their camp. With their gear secured and their spirits lifted by the much needed rest, they set out on the path leading out of the forest.
As they walked, the dense trees gradually thinned, giving way to an open landscape of rocky terrain. The ground underfoot became rough and uneven, the air carrying a faint, salty tang. The salt lands stretched out before them, a barren expanse of white and gray that shimmered in the morning light.
Perena, a little tired but eager to continue, glanced around curiously. "I've heard stories about this place. They say the salt lands were once a great sea, but now it's just rocks and salt as far as the eye can see." Her white ears twitch as she tries to listen for danger.
Dagi nodded, her spear resting on her shoulder as she surveyed the horizon. "It's a harsh land, but we should be able to cross it without much trouble."
The group pressed on, the crunch of salt beneath their boots a constant accompaniment to their journey. The landscape was stark and beautiful, with jagged rock formations rising like sentinels from the flat plains. Despite the desolation, there was a certain allure to the place, a sense of mystery that kept them alert and curious.
As they moved deeper into the salt lands, Sally began to notice a change in the atmosphere. The air felt heavier, charged with a strange energy that prickled at her senses. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, though the vastness of the landscape suggested otherwise.
It wasn't long before they encountered the first sign of danger. A low growl echoed across the plains, followed by the appearance of a pack of strange creatures emerging from the shadows of the rocks. They were the first monsters Sally had seen since she arrived in this world, their bodies covered in glistening scales that shimmered like glass in the sunlight.
"Dagi, we have company," Sally called, her daggers already in her hands as she took a defensive stance.
Dagi was quick to respond, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the threat. "Salt Termites," she identified, her voice low and tense. "They don't usually roam this far out."
The Termites advanced, their movements quick and deliberate as they closed in on the group. Sally and her companions spread out, forming a defensive perimeter as they prepared to fight.
The battle was swift and fierce. Sally's daggers flashed in the sunlight, slicing through the tough carapace of the termites with practiced ease. Dagi's spear struck with precision, each thrust a testament to her skill and strength. Jurai, despite her injuries, wielded her claws with deadly efficiency, sending slashes of energy that cut through their joints.
As the last of the monsters fell, Sally took a moment to catch her breath, her eyes scanning the horizon for any further signs of danger. The ground around them was littered with the remains of the creatures, their bodies dissolving into piles of salt and rock.
"Termites, that's not a good sign, never is. Ants are never alone, there's usually a colony, but this far out? With no animals or monsters to feed on," Sally commented, wiping sweat from her brow. "Ants usually move in their search for food, so far we haven't come across any other monsters, there shouldn't be a colony here."
Dagi nodded, a sense of unease settling over her. "Unless there's a dungeon nearby," she said, her voice filled with certainty. "And these creatures are being released from it."
Perena frowned, her gaze distant as she considered the implications. "A dungeon in the salt lands... That would explain the sudden increase in monster activity."
The realization added a new layer of urgency to their journey. Dungeons were known to hold great treasures and even greater dangers, and the presence of one in the salt lands meant that the salt lands just got more difficult.
"We should check it out," Sally suggested, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "It could be an opportunity for us to gain some valuable resources and information." 'Plus it's a fucking dungeon, like in the game.'
*Ding*
"Huh?" Sally paused, the familiar ring of a notification echoing in her mind.
|| Guild teleport function available || 1/1 ||
Sally blinked. "No way." Slowly she mentally selected the option.
|| Return to Guild? || Y/N ||
She glanced at the women behind her. 'Will it bring them too? I can't just leave them.'
She mentally clicked yes.
|| You are in a party. Summon party members along? || Y/N ||
Sally breathed a sigh of relief as she called out to Dagi and the women. "Hey Dagi, do you mind if I say something?"
Dagi turned from berating Jurai for her comment of feasting on termite meat. "What's the problem?"
Sally took in a deep breath, then looked the deer kin in the eyes as she spoke. "I found a way for us to get where we are headed faster. Or at least close to it."
Dagi studied the young girl's face for a moment. "What are you talking about?"
Sally considered her next words carefully as she spoke. "You've heard of teleportation right." Dagi nodded. Sally continued. "I'm saying I can use something similar right now to get us out of here."
Dagi narrowed her eyes. "And where exactly would be you teleporting us to?"
Sally smiled. "Hopefully, to my best friend, Maple."
Dagi once again studied Sally's face for a moment before sighing. "If what you've said in our journey about this Maple holds true, then perhaps it'll work out."
Sally breathed a sigh of relief at that. "Alright." Dagi nodded. "Allow me to speak with the others for a moment."
Sally watched as the deer kin gathered the rest of the women into a small circle as they discussed.
A few minutes later Jurai walked up to her. "So you're taking us to see your future mate huh?"
Sally blushed furiously. "I keep telling you, we're not like that."
Jurai just gave a hearty laugh. "I'd like to meet her if just the thought of her can turn you into a red romaro."
Sally nodded, taking a deep breath. She focused her thoughts on the notification in her mind, mentally selecting the option to summon her party members along.
|| Initiating teleportation... ||
A faint glow surrounded the group, the air shimmering with a soft, golden light. Sally could feel the magic humming around them, tingling against her skin like a gentle breeze. The world around them began to blur, the salt lands fading away as they were enveloped in a kaleidoscope of colors.
In a flash, the landscape changed. The harsh, barren expanse of the salt lands was replaced by the familiar stone walls of the guild house. Sally blinked, adjusting to the sudden change in scenery. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it had worked.
Standing in the main hall, they were surrounded by the comforting sight of the guild's wooden beams and cozy furnishings.
A clicking noise echoed before the doors that led outside opened, familiar faces walking through.
____
The silence that ensued was so thick, everyone was hard-pressed to move for the first few seconds.
Chrome chuckled. "When I said Sally could show up on our doorstep, I didn't actually expect her to do so."
This seemed to break through the stalemate as Maple was knocked over backwards by a charging Sally, receiving an award winning hug.
Sally pressed her body against Maple as she hugged the life out of her best friend, her heart filled with elation.
She had no idea.
Of the danger she had narrowly escaped.
Of the aura of death encompassing the salt lands.
Of just how close she had come to closing the door on her journey.
////
The salt lands.
The barren salt lands was known to be home to plethora of desert type monsters, at least that was the case two months ago.
Two months ago a dungeon emerged, releasing ant like monsters on the monstrous populace.
Dungeons. Occuring realms of treasure and danger. Formed when mana gathers in a place for far too long, most of the times around leylines.
So why did a dungeon emerge in the salt lands, a place rumoured to have a miniscule amount of mana.
The answer dates back to when Gods still walked the mortal realms. Back when the salt lands was a bountiful ocean.
A certain goddess fell there, and in order to survive, she entered a state of slumber for thousands of years, regaining her strength.
And she would remain asleep, until a certain Hydra decided to announce its arrival and challenge the world.
With her awakening, mana surged through the salt lands creating the dungeon of termites.
Yes Termites. She was the goddess of termites. The Goddess Mitia.
___
The instant she felt it, she knew something was wrong. Her children were dying at an alarming rate. And none of them were able to send back information of the enemy, an enemy capable of killing her children, even the stronger ones in an instant.
And so the goddess Mitia arose from her dungeon, prepared to face her opponent who dared to attack a god. Her humanoid form, that of a tall female human with carapace like skin, her dark hair rising with her power her dark irises scanning the surroundings.
There was a storm outside.
She narrowed her eyes, she could not find the perpetrator of her children's demise.
Looking around for miles, she could see no living being apart from her children.
No. Her children were still being killed as she watched.
"SHOW YOURSELF." Her voice rumbled as the ground cracked and chasms were created. Still she could find no one.
She looked into the distance, her gaze settling on one her children. A termite with a height of three meters and length of fifteen meters. One of her champions.
She watched as he scurried towards where her children had last being killed. The storm was heavy but her champion would not be impeded by a mere storm.
The termite collapsed, then disintegrated.
'What?' She didn't see what happened, how had he been struck? What struck him? She wondered.
She focused on the disintegrating form of her champion, noting the purple hue on the edges of his corpse.
Poison.
But where? She wondered. A drop of rain touched the corpse, and it disintegrated further.
Her eyes widened. And she looked up.
The storm. It wasn't the usual dark embodiment of chaos.
This one was a frightening purple, releasing pitch black lightning.
Rage surged within her. "YOU DARE."
An incredible pressure erupted with her as the center as wings grew from her back launching her into the storm.
"A MERE STORM DARES TO CHALLENGE A GOD." Her rage was understandable, she had been amassing her power, releasing her children into the world, only for a passing storm to completely destroy her plans.
She released a blast of pure Aether, striking the storm, blowing it away in an explosion. When the smoke settled the storm was slightly smaller but still there.
She flew into the storm, aiming to destroy it from the inside.
The first drop touched her with a sizzling sound.
The second drop slid off her carapace unable to apply the poison in a divine being of her calibre.
The third drop touched her, and her eyes dimmed. Her ascent ceased and by the time the full downpour came upon her, her body was already disintegrated.
The world rumbled and shook.
A Goddess had been killed.
Multiple pantheons were immediately sent into a state of turmoil.
Meanwhile in the salt lands, something incredible was happening.
The storm gained a golden light around it's purple interior.
The storm, now a roiling mass of gold and purple, began to collapse in on itself. It shrank into a small, pulsating egg of smoke and light. The storm's malevolence gave way to a more delicate presence.
The egg burst with a soft, radiant explosion, and from the golden light emerged a girl, her appearance ethereal and otherworldly. She had striking purple hair and golden eyes, dressed in a dark gown that seemed woven from the night itself. Her features were those of a child, no older than fourteen.
She floated above the remnants of the storm, her gaze filled with a mix of wonder and sorrow. As she looked around, she whispered softly, "Mother."
A Goddess had been born.