Cassian began to worry about Nora's fate and... well, just her. She was his only friend.
But Plouthys said that the trees — which Cassian assumed were the strange structures growing in the center of the city — would help the worlds withstand the initial stage of all this
Although he did not give many details, Cassian felt a little doubtful on this point., as those strange structures made him feel very uneasy, causing him to doubt whether what he was saying was true.
[In short, everyone has an equal chance to succeed, to protect their world, or even to go beyond that.]
But regardless of what Cassian or the others thought, Plouthys finished his point.
There were still things that bothered him, but it was true that having a reasonable explanation for all the events he had experienced since waking up — and that kept coming one after another — was somewhat reassuring.
Hmm, so the main idea is to go to Varnorr and climb it to get resources and protect our world from Varnorr itself. Or rather, from the beasts that inhabit it. Seen this way, it is easy to understand everything, although it seems to me a little too simple humm... and cliche, Well, it seems he's not done yet.
Cassian was still trying to grasp what he had understood, but Plouthys continued talking — he seemed to enjoy it.
[Alright, now let's move on to the reason you are here. Each of you holds the most outstanding potential in your respective worlds. What do I mean by that, considering what I just said about equality? Well, this is where individual advantages come in: each of you possesses unique Skill — rankless Skill— that will naturally grow along with you.
Some of you may not have even stood out in your world. Why? Because you were all at the bottom. But as you begin to rise, you will notice that these abilities are not like the others. Even if they function the same or belong to a family legacy, over time you will notice the clear differences.]
Huh? Skill? My body?
Cassian wondered for a moment. What Skill did he have? He immediately came to a conclusion: there was nothing but his body.
So... My strength and all that... Is it an ability? Does everyone here have something equivalent to my body?
Cassian began, for some reason, to feel relieved. He finally believed he had found a clue to the truth about why his body was the way it was.
He felt as if a weight he didn't know he was carrying had been lifted from him. Seriously, this informative section was very enriching.
[This place is a testing ground for you, so you can get a taste of what Varnorr is like in a relatively safe environment so you can get used to it, once you fail or pass they will come back. I am a generous god, and that is why I do this.
Not only that: as the generous god that I am, rewards and great treasures are everywhere. You will probably open the way to your worlds, and my greatest pleasure is to see you succeed.]"
Hmm... this is too good to be true...
Cassian may have been a fool with poor social skills, but he wasn't naive. He appreciated the explanation, but the situation wasn't entirely believable.
This was definitely too good to be true. There had to be something else behind it all.
[Your faces say this is too good to be true?]
Did he read my mind!?
[And no, I'm not reading your minds, for those of you who thought so. In fact, I like that you think that way. This world is ruthless, and trusting someone unilaterally just because they call themselves a god is not a good thing.
Well, as a god, there are laws I must follow divine, so rest assured that I did not bring you here just to hurt you.
If you don't believe me, those of you who live in worlds with gods, ask yourselves why they never intervene directly. Just think: has there ever been a time when one of your almighty gods directly hurt someone?.
By the way, before you ask — no, I can't just send you back. You know, divine laws and all that.]
Even so, there's no proof that what you're saying is true...
[Even so, that doesn't prove that what I'm saying is true. Yes. And again, I'm not reading your minds... although I can.]
...Are you reading my mind or not?
Cassian was seriously confused, and the guy was oddly irritating — as if he were toying with them. Worse still, now that he had started 'interacting' — if it could even be called that — it seemed like he was only answering questions he asked himself.
He spoke as if he could read minds, even though he kept denying it... or maybe his thoughts were so obvious that there was no need to read them.
In fact, many around him seemed to be having the same internal debate. Rather, it was confirmed that he could read minds... which didn't help much.
[Well, in addition to this about the rules, for worlds with gods: if you know anything, you will know that I have not lied.
I don't know how much your respective gods have told you or how much you know, but there should be no contradiction.
Well, if it makes you feel better, I'll tell you bluntly that I also gain from doing all this.]"
"Uhm..."
Whether he was a god or not, he didn't seem like someone to mess with, as the mere fact that he controlled those rifts that brought everyone from various worlds made it clear that he was no ordinary person.
Does he even have a physical body? Or is he one of those conceptual beings that only die when you take away their concept?
Cassian was thinking seriously. He had lost count of how many stories with different types of gods he had read, and since everything seemed to be working more or less so far, he tried to associate it with what he knew, who knows if he would have to fight with a god all of a sudden.
Well, if he really is a god, he might just kill me instantly.
[Well, those of you who thought, "What would a god like me gain by doing this?", well... besides the prosperity your world will have, it's simple 'my agent'. Yes, this is also a testing ground, and from among you, whoever proves themselves worthy, I will choose as my divine agent.
And being one of my agents is a big factor in the prosperity of your world. I also gain a lot from that. it's a win-win.]
Well, when he put it that way...
Cassian thought that if it was as he said, it was reasonable.
But again, there was nothing to confirm whether what he was saying was true. Although there wasn't much he could do other than follow what he was saying, he didn't have much choice.
[Without further ado, let's begin. Although my divinity is generosity, that doesn't mean I'll give you things easily. Everything will be based on your achievements, so do your best.]
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
At that moment, it suddenly began to shake, which put Cassian on alert.
But what happened next surprised him even more: the ten fruits, just as they had appeared, simply disappeared. But that wasn't all. The ten entrances through which they had arrived began to close.
It didn't even look like the earth was filling them in. It was as if the holes simply shrank and ceased to exist.
And if that wasn't enough, at that moment, while the ten entrances began to vanish, something began to emerge where before there had only been a wall.
At first it looked as if the earth was fluid and began to move, slowly taking shape.
It lasted a few seconds. By the time the entrances were closed, there was now a single, gigantic door, which actually looked like it was made of metal, with the number ten above it.
"…"
If those present had not seen the process with their own eyes, they would never have imagined that this door with such detailed carvings—which seemed to tell a story—had recently been a simple wall.
[Good. Your first objective will be the fruits, and these will be your reward, which I would recommend you eat as soon as you obtain them.
By the way, nothing will happen even if you eat more than one, so don't be greedy, hee~ ehem... as I said, that is the key and the beginning of everything.
Again, I repeat, you will be generously rewarded here, and the more you do, the more you will be rewarded, so don't hold back.
Remember, this is a great opportunity for you and your worlds. Do your best. ]
With that said, the Plouthys on the screen—who at that moment had the appearance of a normal human—looked at the seven people before disappearing, leaving the room in a state of stillness.