As Ryu's consciousness faded, a soothing and pleasant voice echoed in his mind.
"Welcome, traveller."
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an entirely different place.
The ground beneath him was obsidian black, matching the bark of the trees that rose around him. Their leaves shimmered gold, and the flowers bloomed in the same radiant hue, with silver stems glinting in the light. A soft brilliance bathed the forest, so surreal it looked almost artificial—but at the same time, disturbingly real.
Ryu winced as his eyes stung from the sudden brightness. Yet oddly, he wasn't afraid or tense. A calm washed over him. The fatigue in his limbs, the soreness from pushing the cart—gone.
Then the voice returned, closer this time.
"Over here, traveller."
As if guided by something beyond his control, Ryu rose to his feet and followed the sound. He soon found himself before a pristine white cathedral nestled in the glowing forest. Its tall doors creaked open, revealing a single figure inside.
A woman stood at the center of the cathedral, her long white dress adorned with glowing runes of red and blue, matching the luminous flowers around her. Her hair was as black as the trees, but her face… her face was a glowing blur of light. Still, Ryu could feel it—she was beautiful.
He stared, entranced, until the woman laughed gently.
"If you want, you can come take a closer look."
Ryu's face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly walked toward her. His body felt unusually light, as if the air itself had lifted his burdens.
The woman chuckled again.
Trying to mask his awkwardness, Ryu asked, "W-who are you?"
He couldn't see her face, but he sensed a smile in her voice.
"You drink my tears, walk in my land, and yet you don't know who I am?"
Drink her tears—?
Ryu's eyes widened. "Wait… are you Avalin? The goddess?"
Another soft laugh.
"Yes. I am Avalin."
A real goddess. Ryu didn't know how to respond. Was he supposed to bow? Kneel? Before he could figure it out, Avalin gestured for him to sit in the chair across from her.
He walked up slowly and sat down, trying to appear confident even as nervous energy buzzed in his chest.
"So... why did you call me here?"
Avalin's glow dimmed slightly.
"I am in need of your help, traveller."
"You need my help? Seriously?"
A moment of silence followed, thick with meaning.
Ryu broke it. "So what do you need me to do?"
The light around Avalin flickered for a second.
"I need you to protect my forest… by killing Kolasis."
Ryu blinked. Kill Kolasis? That was already part of the plan. Still, he asked, "Why don't you kill him yourself?"
Avalin hesitated before replying.
"Because… he is my failure."
Her failure? Ryu wanted to ask more, but the pain in her voice made him stop. It wasn't just a monster to her—it was personal.
"So you want me to risk my life... for free?" he asked bluntly.
Avalin sighed, then waved her hand. A soft glow flowed from the trees and into Ryu's body. A sudden rush of energy surged through him, filling him with warmth and light.
A translucent screen appeared:
[You have acquired the skill: Avalin's Deception]
[Description: You can conjure illusions affecting a single target. The strength and complexity of the illusion depends on your divine affiliation. The illusion is more effective when the target's senses are obstructed.]
Ryu's heart pounded "a skill! an actual skill and one given by a god no less" but as he read the description Ryu was a bit sad.
"'Avalin's Deception'?" Ryu raised a brow. "Aren't you the goddess of a forest? Aren't gods supposed to be… honest?"
Avalin chuckled.
"You're young. When you grow older, you'll realize that even the most virtuous people lie. And when you've lived as long as I have… well, you get quite good at it."
Ryu studied her, then asked the question that weighed heavily on his mind. "Do I actually have a chance to kill Kolasis?"
She shrugged.
"That depends entirely on you."
He frowned. "Then why me?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Why me? Why not the commander? He's way stronger than I am."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Hmm… I don't know. Let's just call it a goddess's intuition."
Suddenly, Ryu's body began to feel heavy. His eyelids drooped, no matter how hard he fought to keep them open. He could feel himself slipping away, waking up.
Just before the light faded, he heard her voice one last time—soft, almost mournful.
"We shall meet again… if you live long enough, traveller"
As Ryu woke up, he heard the voices of the commander and the soldiers nearby. He sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes.
The forest had returned to its usual form. The glowing flowers now radiated their typical hues of pink and blue—colors that Ryu still hadn't gotten used to. The overall darkness of the forest had returned too, a stark contrast to the radiant brilliance of the goddess's realm.
He looked around and spotted the commander and several knights deep in conversation. Getting to his feet, Ryu made his way toward them.
As he approached, the knights cast him sharp glances and muttered amongst themselves.
"How can someone sleep that long in a place like this?"
"Tch, must be nice being that carefree."
Ryu clearly heard every word. He felt a twinge of embarrassment. Wait, did I really sleep that long...?
Trying to brush it off, he asked, "What are you all doing?"
One of the knights, his tone rough and impatient, replied, "What else? We're figuring out a way to kill that bastard."
Bastard? Oh—they meant Kolasis.
Ryu fell silent for a moment, listening to their conversation. The gears in his mind began to turn.
Then, calmly, he spoke up.
"I think… I have a plan."