1291. After Mithras, the Kingdom of Mithras.
dead. But not as much as she thought.
Kia had never been religious, so she expected a dark void and then nothing. Apparently, religion makes sense.
There is an afterlife, and it looks like a Greek temple, built of marble, golden clouds, and dazzling light. Whichever god ruled the place gave her a comfortable chair to sit in front of a bright fire.
“Kachin Independence Army Bekele.”
She raised her eyes and discovered that what she thought were pillars were actually two huge legs.
The first was a giant man with marble skin, like a statue hewn from stone. This entity wears a crown of fire, holds a flaming sword, and is hidden beneath a royal cloak. This is the prototype of the king, with the eyes of two suns looking down at Kia with benevolent eyes. "I am Mithras, the god of the sun, law, healing and justice," he introduced himself in a warm, booming voice.
"I am Leone, the goddess of glory, nobility, art and strength." The second is a real knight in shining armor, blond and wearing golden armor. She was holding a large sword, with both hands on the hilt and firmly planted on the ground, exuding a brave temperament. "We are two of the twelve gods of Odromon."
Out
emo
de?
"There are two sides to the same coin, Kia," Mithras said. "Earth is just one world among many, it has a twin. Out
emo
de. A world shaped like yours, but with dragons instead of airplanes and magic instead of science. A world threatened by a huge epidemic is in desperate need of heroes. "
"You died long ago on Earth before you could complete your mission," Leone continued. She wondered if they were married or just very close friends that made them so compatible. "But death is a door. It can lead you to the afterlife, or to new opportunities in Overmond."
"Like reincarnation?" Like the novel she read online?
"If you wish," Mithras explained her choice. "We could have you return to Overmond as you are now, with all your belongings. Or we could have you reincarnated as a man, an elf, a dwarf, or even a cat. As long as it's not a monster or a dragon. , you can become anything and anyone.”
"It's... weirdly specific," Kia pointed out.
Fornos has no soul, so you cannot transform into Fornos. Dragon..." Leon looked disgusted, but then regained his composure. "Dragon is forbidden. You will be blessed with divine blessings and great favors so that you can forge a new destiny for yourself. But with great power comes certain obligations. "
Of course, there are pitfalls. Kia has never done anything remarkable in her life. She moved from Ethiopia to Europe with her parents, only to die in a school when her stupid boyfriend crashed their car into another car. Aside from doing some charity work in her free time, she has no heroic deeds. "You have a mission for me."
Leon nodded. "The people of Ortmund are threatened by an ancient enemy, the fairy lord of Fomo."
"They are not fairies from your movies. They are soulless monsters, evil witches, child eaters, and cruel giants. They treat humans as toys or food, creating life only to enslave it. They pass through Give animals intelligence to enhance their hides, just for fun hunting them. They are evil tyrants who once ruled with an iron fist alongside their dragon counterparts, the Overmunds, before our fellow god Dice came along."
"Through our support and the power of the class, humans and other species slowly pushed them back into the dark corners of Ortmund. But about a century ago, one of their own decided to fight back."
When a Mithraic raises his hand, a miniature phantom appears like a hologram.
The scene depicts a medieval city inhabited by humans that is attacked by monsters. Trolls, ogres, winged harpies, and other baddies breached the fortified walls, setting the city on fire as the defenses of knights and magicians collapsed. This fight would look great if it wasn't horribly lopsided in favor of the Horde.
A monster as big as a skyscraper is rampaging through the city, crushing homes with every step. It was a humanoid creature riding a giant lizard with spikes on its back, like a horse.
Is that a Dungeons & Dragons game? Or is it Godzilla? Is that something riding on it?
The giant who rides it looks like a terrifying headless horseman, holding a huge ax made of flesh and bone in one hand. An eye with blue flames floated where the head should be, staring viciously at the little person who was mercilessly chopped by the monster.
"King Baraul, the most powerful and evil predecessor, has raised a terrible army and launched a war against the Mistral Continent." Mithras explained in a cold voice. "Many nations have fallen to him, and now Gadmani, the bastion of humanity, is threatened with destruction. If he succeeds, Bara'ul will drench the entire continent with the blood of all mortals, so that they will never again Nor will he rise up to challenge his ancestors.”
"Why don't you just help humans?" It always bothered her how the gods in the stories never seemed to do that, when the creature seemed like a big enough threat to justify it. "That thing looks disgusting."
"We do, and I did," Mithras said, surprising her. "But we are not omnipotent. We are closer to your Olympus, or your Ethyr. We are strong, we cannot die, but we have limits."
"A thousand years ago, we gods agreed not to go to war in Ordromund," Leone said. "Because when we do, we cause more harm than good, and there's no clear winner. Another god, Sabra the World-Eater, supports the ancestors' quest for cosmic destruction, and therefore prevents us from intervening. So now, what we have What we can do is guide and empower mortals. We can reincarnate people on Earth, 'claim' their souls, and make them our warriors."
"So, if I agree to fight this Bara'ul, I will gain new life and magical powers?"
"This will be a dangerous journey and you will probably die," Mithras said. "But know that if you die in the line of duty, you will earn a place in our holy nation. And you will not be alone."
"We have reincarnated many people from your world who have the potential to become true heroes," Leone confirmed Kia's own thoughts. "Together you will form a great crusade to fight against Bara'ul."
They bribed her with heaven?
Now that she knew it existed, how could she resist?
"Can I have a better figure?" she asked, a little embarrassed. Kia is black, nerdy-looking, and wears glasses; the kind of girl who stays in the library all day and never sees the light of day. She always had some physical issues so jumped at the chance. "I want to stay human, close to myself, and just... look good."
"That can be arranged," Leone said, not sounding surprised.
"Yes. I don't want too many changes, I just want to be in better shape, not need glasses, and have a pretty face. I know it sounds stupid, but..."
"It's not stupid, Kia," Mithras consoled her affectionately, "in fact, you are more mature and humble than the others."
"Ah? So what?"
"Most of them asked for something bigger... and it was achieved... I don't want to taint myself by going into lurid details."
"Can you get a bigger boobs on the table?"
The eyes of the gods became cold and unbearable.
"I'm kidding," Kia said, unsure herself. The offer was a good one, and she was in no rush to find the "normal" afterlife that awaited her. "I am here."
"Thank you, Kia," Mithra said. "Let's go, Leon?"
"But before that, can I ask you a question?" The gods nodded to Kia's request. “Why me? What makes me different?”
The gods exchanged glances in an uneasy silence. After a few long, agonizing seconds, Kia became very nervous.
"I didn't have the heart to tell her," Leone told Mithras.
God sighed and glanced down at Kia. "KIA. I am the God of Justice. Truth and honesty are within my purview, which means I am physically unable to lie, no matter how much I want to not hurt someone's feelings. My words will be objective truth, so please Don’t take anything I say to heart.”
Kia braces itself for impact.
"You're boring and forgettable."
Kia sunk deeper into the chair.
"Your past lives are largely irrelevant, and although you died of good karma, it was more due to the absence of evil deeds than to any valuable qualities. I can't find a better word to describe you , you are mediocre, but passable.”
Kia never thought words could cause so much damage.
"We have reincarnated all the people you could call real hero material, but they were either killed by their ancestors or they were not enough themselves. In your local parlance, we are, exhausting ourselves, accepting anything with a little bit Good luck folks. We hope that where quality fails, quantity will succeed. That's how bad it is. Even if we don't see it coming, you have the potential, with some grace and luck, to become a hero. It's unlikely, but it's okay possible."
At this time, Kia's self-esteem has been torn to pieces, and she doesn't know what to say.
"But don't stress," Leon reassured her with a forced smile.
No, not at all.
"You can still be a hero and take the opportunity to grow into a legend," Mithras said, sounding more kindly than before. "Even if you fail, I welcome you to my kingdom where you can enjoy a rich afterlife. The choice is yours."
She doesn't like the idea as much as she once did, but it's still better than the alternative.
Both gods raised a hand to her, and two symbols appeared as tattoos on the back of Kia's hand: a shining golden sun and a shield with a stylized pen symbol.
Congratulations! You have been awarded the prestigious rank of [Paladin]!
+1st
, +1 vit, +1 cha, +1 luck!
You receive the [Holy Champion] career perk, as well as [Mithra claims] and [Leone claims] personal perks!
[Holy Warrior]: You gain advanced proficiency with swords and spears, and all your attacks with any weapon deal additional holy damage.
[Mithraic Claim]: When you level up, you have an additional 10% chance of gaining a Charisma or Strength point. You are also immune to all fire and divine effects except those caused by Mithras or his servants.
[Leo
eClaim]: When you level up, you have an additional 10% chance of gaining a Vitality or Skill Point. When you complete a task or kill a monster, you will receive a 30% experience reward.
Is mediocrity still passable?
Kia promised herself that she would prove them wrong.
She wanted them all to see it.
After the Mithrae Festival in 1301, three days after Emperor Vankel crowned himself.
"Kachin Independence Army! Kachin Independence Army! Get out of here!"
Kia woke up from her sleep with a pounding headache and the bottle of wine she drank last night lying next to her large bed. The early morning sunlight shone into her body through the window, causing her to pull the sheets over herself.
She heard the butler reasoning with the guests on the other side of the door. "Sir Nostradan, the Flash Knight doesn't want to be disturbed...she doesn't feel well..."
"I was her teammate and I've seen her in the most humiliating positions. A bad morning is tame."
Kia recognized the man's voice and shouted in frustration. "Let that idiot come in..."
The door was kicked open, and a tall, charming black elf walked in. He had dark skin and short white hair. He wears magical robes of gold and blue and is accompanied by a host of powerful artifacts, from rings to a silver crown. His purple eyes stared at her with intense disapproval. "Kia, what the hell, it's one o'clock in the afternoon!"
She reached for something under the bed. She picked up her legendary sword Alondit, the sword used to slay the most powerful dragons, and used it as a crutch to rise from the bed. "What's the matter……"
"Kia, my God, are you drunk?" He closed the door first, then used telekinesis to open the window to let in fresh air.
"No, I just...drank a little too much last night...wait for me..." She put her hand on her chest. "cure".
The hangover is over and Kia can think straight again. "Better," she said, standing up straight, smirking at her old teammate and saying, "Hi, Kevin."
"This is Nost
edame! Her friends berated her. "How many times have I told you to call me your hero's name?"
Kia remembers but still teases him. Like many other claims, Kevin chose a new, fantastic-sounding name upon arriving in Outremond. He let her get away with it because they were as close as thieves, and for the same reason she felt comfortable letting him into her room while she was wearing only white lingerie.
Kia walked to the two-meter-high mirror in the bedroom and fixed her hair. When the gods reincarnated her, they changed her appearance so that she forgot her old appearance. In that strange world, her new body resembled the model Lea Kebede, with shoulder-length black hair, glossy black skin, and piercing eyes. She had lost some muscle and gained some fat since she began living in the vineyard, but she still looked more like an Amazon than a fragile flower.
Most people would lust after her as soon as they laid eyes on her, to the point of making her uncomfortable, but not Kevin. The nerd just loved magic and math, so much so that he asked to become a dark elf because it would make his intelligence grow better. "The housekeeper told me you're always drinking," Kevin scolded her. "I know we've had big, chaotic parties before, but it's not like you to drink alone."
"I had nothing better to do," Kia admitted.
Two years ago, 200 experienced adventurers at level 60 and above battled King Bara'ur in the golden land, including Kia, in an epic battle that determined the future of the continent. Each of them has the best equipment, including artifacts, preparation time, and a sound strategy.
When Kia launched its final push, they were down to 11 men.
But eventually, with their leader dead, the orcs fell into internal strife, their tribe scattered, and those who fell behind were easily picked upon by adventurers. The war ended when generals like Magmeir successfully retreated to their home town of Prydon. Mortal life will continue.
Kia as Ga
demag
One of e's greatest heroines, she was awarded the title of Shining Knight and a noble land. Including a vineyard where she now spends much of her free time. Meanwhile, Kevin became the principal of the Gadmani Royal Academy and an advisor to the king.
This annoyed her to death.
Keya has now reached level 60 or above, and almost nothing can threaten her. Some powerful monsters can, but after the legendary battle with King Bara'ul, all bets are off. Instead of going on epic adventures, she spends her time giving lectures or being courted by nobles who want to marry the heroine of the golden land. Even a prince of Gadmani got it.
"The old days," Kevin said. Kia felt like these weird old men ranting about the "good old days" and she hated it.
Her eyes traveled to the bright green star metal armor and shield standing in the corner. Maybe she could get back on the road as a solo hero, fighting the orcs in Prydaan, or exploring the western continent?
"Would you like something to drink?" Kia suggested to her friend, who snapped his fingers and a table covered with paper appeared next to the chair.
"No, thank you," he said, sitting down and inviting her to sit down as well. "Actually, I'm here to discuss business."
Did he do it? Kia was suddenly listening with rapt attention, because business usually involves Brandon Moore. "The king has finally decided to invade Ishfania?"
"Not yet, another fox came to the henhouse. A big red dragon appeared in the south, causing a lot of commotion. He has been identified as Vai
queue
K
ightsba
e, an older red grub who terrorized Midgard until it was destroyed by Bara'ul and then assimilated by the Gadmani. He is thought to have died during the Century War, but reports and prophecies so far believe this to be true. "
The old red demon. Like a precursor, one needs a fifties party to kill it. Kia can probably do it alone, so bringing everyone in would be too much. "How dangerous?" she asked, her hopeful tone surprising her. The name sounded familiar. I thought I'd heard his story."
"He was almost the archetypal dragon of Overmund, at least in the southern lands. Before the advent of King Bara-ul, he was considered the greatest scourge of the age, and earned the nickname Scourge of Knights, for He killed every hero who challenged him."
"I thought. The king wants me to handle this?" That would change her mind and distract her.
"Actually, it's... it's more complicated than that. I don't know how to say it with a straight face, but... he has a human partner and they..." Kia frowned as her friend struggled to find the right one words. He ended up writing her a brief letter. "Read only".
Kia continued reading, and the more she read, the more confused she became. "Emperor Vankel? V&V Adventurers Company?"
"The dragon wanted land and gold as payment for killing one of Morre's generals, the lich Freebon."
"What do you mean the dragon wants money?" She quickly understood. "Don't tell me..."
"The Adventurers Guild recognizes Vai
queue
K
ightsba
e and his human companions are a company of adventurers, including Plate. With Fu
ibo
Of destruction, they should upgrade to Gold level, but after the Euskal fiasco, they may opt for the politically safer Iron or Bronze levels. "
Yuska's fiasco? What did she miss last night? "Dragon. A dragon adventurer."
“There’s a class hierarchy.”
Dragons can gain class levels? She believes they are like ancestors, soulless and therefore unable to enter the system, even after being informed of its existence. "What's going on?" Start from the beginning. "
"The human companion is Victor Dalton. He was a Dice Claimant who joined the Nightblade shortly after arriving in Overmonde. He took the exam for the [Desperado] class and had a short ——”
"Dalton," Chia interrupted. "His surname is Dalton, and he was a desperado from the beginning?"
"Yes, he was born to do evil. Imagine if his name was Dick Dalton." Kia couldn't help laughing. "Anyway, before leaving Noble to become an adventurer, he worked for the Nightblade organization in Noble. The Marquess of Carabas hired him through the Alban Chapter of the Adventurers Guild to retrieve a long sword that The sword took him to Winkle's lair. We don't know what happened there, but then three things are certain: Winkle returned, Dalton became his accomplice, and they forced the local guild to declare They are an official company of adventurers.”
"Dalton - - - - - -"
"As far as I know, he cannot control dragons, but the apprentice I sent to investigate told me that he came into contact with a monster profession called 'Monster Attendant'. I suspect that he sold his soul to the evil dragon in exchange for power ." The great wizard handed her two piles of paper. "I have two very different versions of what happened next, both specious. I don't know what to make of them."
"Tell me," Kia asked. “The more information we have, the better we can deal with them.”
"The first version is largely based on the testimonies of nobles and their entourage," Kevin warns. Dalton and Winkle first moved to Calabasas to exact "revenge" on the Marquise, burning her land and threatening her to hand over gold and food. The Marquise wants to poison the dragon, but he doesn't have it, and Dalton blackmails them. "
Well, things escalated quickly. Kia guessed that dragons and outlaws were still monsters, no matter what they called themselves.
The two then captured the town of Haudemer on the west coast. Our spies tell us that they are trying to recover an artifact, the Apple of Knowledge, hidden by the Claimant who escaped from Brandon Moore. After the two destroyed the countryside, recruiting savage monsters along the way, the Scorchers fought and were slaughtered for the artifact. After the massacre, Dalton..." Her friend paused. "Do you really want me to tell you the ugly details?"
Kia nodded, his face gloomy.
"He...Dalton ordered one of the women to have a child with him."
Keya tightened her grip on her sword, thinking how she could use it to castrate the criminal.
Duchess Eleanor arrives with knights and crusaders to rescue Hardmer, but Winkle crushes them. Later, when the duchess refused to pay him a tribute of gold, he ate the duchess alive. Dalton had sold the bodies to the Necromancer, who began turning the dead monsters into undead slaves, and together they killed a dozen adventuring parties who followed them. Then they moved to Mu
mu
i
, conquered it yourself. "
So these two were a pair of villains, the likes of whom Gadmani hadn't seen since the war ended. A human criminal and a savage dragon somehow bring out the worst in each other.
Kia knows this is all bad news and she shouldn't be happy about it, but she's once again filled with the call of righteous exploration. "What about the other version?"
"Well... I asked the local guild manager, specifically about her experience with Victor, and she said: "He's an idiot and I hope he's punished for bringing that dragon to my guild hall, but He's not a villain. "I'm just an idiot." The Count of Provence said that the cause of the arson was that the dragon over-understood the requirements of killing monsters, and Victor covered up the poisoning incident and saved his life. "As for Haudeme
, they have left mixed memories with locals who say they were removed from Scot at the cost of unnecessary property damage.
Che
saved them from s hands. "
"What about the woman Dalton forced himself to have sex with?" Kia asked in surprise. "What about the undead? The murder of the Duchess?"
"The victim of the breeding insisted it was consensual and, and I quote him, 'Nine times out of ten, not the best I've ever encountered, but I'd happily do it again.' Under the new Undead Labor Act, Dealing with the undead was apparently perfectly legal. When Dalton was processing the paperwork, Dragon was the prime mover, according to witnesses, purely for corrupt reasons. In the end, Dalton explained in his letter, The Duchess refused to pay Winkle for the death of "Scorched Man," and a fight escalated. Eleanor's successor, Justi
e De Sade formally admitted the claim and did not press charges. "
Kia digested the news in silence. In fact, there is almost no middle ground between the two versions. "So they're either diabolical villains or destructive idiots."
"or".
"Show me the map of the Whispering Empire." Her friend pointed to a place between Gardemani and the western border of Ishfania, adjacent to the sea. He walked around in a small circle, making Kia laugh. "They call that an empire? You can't even pretend to be Delaware!"
"What's your beef with Delaware?" Kevin protested, because that's where he's from. "It's a dragon, Kia. Common sense doesn't apply to them. Remember the Black Goblin in the swamp?"
Kia was still shaking. The dragon kidnapped a dozen noble ladies so that he could imprison the princess. "Wouldn't this help Gadmani?" she asked her more politically minded friend. "The dragon is between the kingdom and Ishfania. It has taken over that area and declared war on Moore."
"Theoretically it does help us, but dragons with levels need to be careful. The dragons fought with the elves for control of Overmund, until the fairies bribed them with gold. So far So far, wy
m requires players to pay for the services he provides, but imagine if he realized he could force towns to give him gold? Although Victor is a controversial figure, he has worked with the Night Blade. He is a criminal. "
Kia thought about this. Her gut told her that these two were more like amoral mercenaries than dangerous disasters, but she had no way of knowing until she checked first. "You said they claimed that area. They did it as a nation of adventurers?"
Her friend nodded in confirmation. Since more than 60% of Ortmund's lands are unexplored, monster-dominated wilderness, Gadmani allowed companies of adventurers to claim the areas they conquered. In theory, these states were tributary states, but in practice the company ruled their territories as their leaders saw fit. The Mithraic Empire, the ancestor of Gadmani, was such a country.
Eventually, the kingdom fully annexed these areas by making the adventurers official nobles, but none of the adventurer nations had a dragon as its leader. Especially a man who calls himself an emperor. Rebellious adventurers are usually suppressed, but they are not castle-destroying behemoths. "What did the king say?"
"His current position is to ignore the dragon. As the Duchess de Sade refuses to press charges for her sister's death and the beast destroys Freebon, King Roland freezes the bounty on Winkle's head. He said, It's better to let the maggot play a noble role, as long as he follows the guild's procedures and limits his attacks to the kingdom's enemies. Since everyone who fights Winkle dies, and Memulin is a monster-infested desert, It seems reasonable that no one wants it.”
"But you don't agree with him."
"I am wary of letting power reach the heads of dragons, because they are arrogant at best. Lucy has proposed to move to Silent Forest with a representative of the Adventurers Association to see them." Kia knew that he meant a Long time Kingdom spy. "Since you're looking for excitement..."
"I can check them and delete them if needed."
Within an hour, Kia had her armor out of storage and her griffon out of its stable.
