A bright chime echoed in Mira's mind.
The golden light surrounding her flickered and dimmed.
Her body—her actual body—felt oddly small, her limbs uncoordinated.
And she was floating.
For a long moment, she could only stare.
She wasn't in a futuristic VR lobby. There were no holographic menus or neon cityscapes. Instead, she was wrapped in a soft, warm glow, cradled in someone's arms.
A woman.
Tall. Cloaked in shadows that moved like living things. Eyes gleaming like distant moons.
Something inside Mira whispered a name.
Hecate.
The name sent a shiver through her.
And then, as if responding to her realization, the system fully rebooted.
---
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
[WELCOME, PLAYER MIRA.]
[NEW PROFILE REGISTERED.]
[CURRENT FORM: INFANT DIVINITY]
[PRIMARY MISSION: DISCOVER YOUR DIVINITY]
(Status: Pending)
[SIDE QUESTS AVAILABLE.]
[ACTIVATING DIVINE RANK SYSTEM...]
---
Mira barely had time to react before a new window flashed in front of her.
---
[Side Quest #1: Meet Three Gods]
Objective: Interact with at least three Olympian gods.
Reward: One-time Fast Forward Option.
(Allows you to skip through passive time periods in the game.)
---
A side quest?
Mira blinked.
She was still struggling to process everything. The warmth of Hecate's arms. The soft murmurs of gods speaking in the distance. The realization that this wasn't just some random game setting—she was literally a baby in Olympus.
But if this was a game, then…
Missions were the way forward.
Her first objective was simple enough. She just had to meet three gods.
She looked up at Hecate, her supposed caretaker, and wondered if she counted.
Could she just... blink at her three times and complete the quest?
Unfortunately, before she could test that theory, Hecate turned sharply, her cloak billowing behind her.
"Come," she murmured. "Let's introduce you to Olympus."
And just like that, Mira's first quest officially began.
---
The First Meeting – Hermes
The first god Mira met was Hermes.
The messenger of the gods practically materialized out of thin air, standing beside Hecate with an amused smirk.
"Well, well," he mused, peering at Mira. "A child born from Chaos itself?"
Mira blinked up at him.
Tall. Golden-eyed. Wings on his sandals.
Somewhere in her pre-VR life, she had written an essay about Hermes' role in Greek mythology. Now, he was right in front of her.
What is my life right now?
Hermes crouched slightly, studying her closely. "And she's not screaming in terror. I like this one."
Hecate exhaled. "Behave, Hermes."
"Of course, of course," he grinned, then winked at Mira before disappearing in a blur of golden light.
[1/3 Gods Met!]
Mira exhaled. One down.
---
The Second Meeting – Apollo
The second god she encountered was Apollo, lounging on the marble steps of a temple.
His golden hair caught the sunlight, his lyre resting beside him. He was exactly as the myths described—radiant, youthful, and vaguely smug.
Hecate didn't introduce them.
She didn't have to.
Apollo's piercing gaze landed on Mira instantly, and a slow, knowing smile curved his lips.
"A child without a defined divinity," he murmured, tilting his head. "How... unusual."
He strummed his lyre absently, the soft notes thrumming in Mira's bones.
Then, to her absolute shock, he lifted a hand and booped her on the nose.
"She'll be interesting," he told Hecate before returning to his music.
Mira had no idea how to respond to that.
[2/3 Gods Met!]
---
The Third Meeting – Athena
The final god she met was Athena.
Unlike Hermes and Apollo, she didn't acknowledge Mira with playful curiosity or lazy amusement.
Instead, Athena studied her with the cold precision of a strategist analyzing a battlefield.
"So this is the new one," Athena said at last, her expression unreadable. "She does not yet have a domain?"
"No," Hecate confirmed. "Not yet."
Athena frowned slightly but said nothing more.
Mira, meanwhile, was trying not to squirm.
Athena's gaze was too sharp, as if she were already dissecting every aspect of her existence.
After a long pause, the goddess turned and walked away, leaving Mira feeling like she'd just been evaluated for something far bigger than she could comprehend.
Still.
[3/3 Gods Met!]
[Side Quest Completed!]
[Reward Acquired: One-Time Fast Forward Option]
---
Fast Forward – Yes or No?
As soon as the quest completed, a new prompt appeared before her:
[You have obtained the Fast Forward option! Would you like to use it now?]
(Yes / No)
Mira hesitated.
On one hand, it would skip through the slow parts—like, presumably, her childhood. She had no idea how long a "baby" stage would last in this game, and she wasn't exactly eager to spend the next few chapters drooling and being spoon-fed ambrosia.
On the other hand…
What if she missed something important?
A choice.
One that could affect everything that came next.
Mira took a deep breath.
And made her decision.