[Arc 2] Chapter 28: Those Noisy Gods
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AND here we go again. AND back to the damn forest opening. AND hello again, damn Draugr.

However, tonight is gonna be different from before! I know your secret! It may be just a prophetic dream, but you're gonna go-!

*KA-BOOOOOOOOMMM!!!*

---

"Man all stations!! ...Huh?" - Garami

An unfamiliar ceiling... not. This is the cell in the city guards' quarters. Yes, it's coming back to me now... that old mustache brought me in here. Just because I came a little too close to the city with the bison. Talk about short-tempered. Is he eating well enough? As there was nothing left for me to do except waiting for the old goat's superior or whatever to arrive, I went to sleep in the cell. Saved me the trouble of finding an inn for the night. Way better than camping outside again.

As I slept, the prophetic dream about the skull-knight appeared again, or the Draugr-knight is better said. Here I thought that I could get some revenge on in after it had terrorized my beauty sleep these last few days, but then that explosion happened.

What was that anyway? Did discovering (I think I discovered it) the trick that tar-bastard did change the future? But why an explosion? I can't do that, at most I can dish out some ashes.

Tar can be flammable if my memory ain't failing me. Did some other party attack the Draugr? No, that's not it. I hadn't done anything by the time the explosion happened. 

*Fzzt* *Bzzzt*

Then was it because the temple... was that radio noise? Is the cell bugged? Was my brain scrambled due to the explosion? If it wasn't a dream, then it would be plausible...

[*Fzzzt*-lo? C*Bzzt*e?] - Radio noise(?)

Yeah, this is serious a radio! I started to look around the cell after the source of the noise, but I found nothing. Not even where the noise came from. No matter where I went in the cell, the noise was in the same volume all the time. Is it only in my head? Did my brain really get scrambled?!

[*Zzzzt*-ere. We're through.] - Male voice

[Yo there, Alvatria's unlucky chosen one.] - Female voice

...... That god of pestilence's name came up. This can't be anything but good.

---

"Err, can the gods and/or goddesses in the sending please tell me their names?" - Garami

As there was no one else in the cells except for the guard by the entrance, I whispered back to the potential divine visitors(?).

[Whooo! This girl got a good head on her shoulders! Wish my Champ was the same.] - Female voice

[Now, now. You were the one who chose that one. And I think the term is 'transgender'.] - Male voice

Yeah, these are gods alright. High on the divine ladder as well. Hm? Because they talked about having a Champion? Sure, that as well, but I referred to how they bluntly ignored me.

[Hah? Got a problem, punk?] - Female voice

And they can read minds?!

[Relax, Agnir here is simply a mass of good instincts. And everyone has the same reaction when she shows it, that's how I knew what you were thinking.] - Male voice

"I-I see." - Garami

[Well, for the long-awaited introduction, my name is Nirmer, the Ultimate God of Wind.] - Nirmer

[And I'm Agnir, the top of the Ultimate Gods. Engrave that to your heart.] - Agnir

O-okay. So, this is the Ultimate Gods... Like Alvatria, they act more like humans than gods, or what I imagined gods to be. Their personalities are showing to well to boot.

"Ah, yes, a pleasure to meet... meet? A pleasure to hear(?) you." - Garami

[Oi, skip the fancy-talk already. And speak louder. This damn Mirror Terminal can't pick up sound that good.] - Agnir

Easy for you to say, you who ain't in prison right now.

[Calm down Agnir. Remember, she's currently in prison now. The guards will think she's crazy if she's talking to someone they cannot see.] - Nirmer

[Then make a wind barrier or something to prevent that then!] - Agnir

[As you wish.] - Nirmer

Things are processing a little too fast for me to follow, but a barrier is something I can live with.

[Alright, and the reason us contacting you is-[What are you doing?!]-tch. Busted.] - Agnir

Ugh, I know that voice...

[What do you mean by 'busted'?! Lux told you to keep those warmonger-hands off others Champions, didn't he?!] - Alvatria

"I knew it! What are you doing here? No, why are any Ultimate Gods doing a radio show inside my head?" - Garami

[I wanna know that! If Chaos hadn't asked me why I wanted to reserve a Mirror Terminal connected to this you, who knows what would happen?] - Alvatria

Ria-chan, currently in great distress. 

[That's because you wouldn't let me talk to this girl.] - Agnir

[That's because you were gonna give her those so-called 'blessings' of yours if I allowed that! Ah! That's what you were planning to do now, weren't it.] - Alvatria

[Yes, so?] - Agnir

[NO WAYYYY!!] - Alvatria

"Uhm, a little confused here. Wasn't Champions supposed to be one exclusive for each of you guys?" - Garami

[That is right; one can only be the Champion for a single Ultimate God, but that does not say we can grant normal blessings on that individual.] - Nirmer

"Thanks for the explanation. So why doesn't Alvatria want me to get more blessings? Having her Champion get a power-up at the expense of others sounds like good news for me." - Garami

[Well miss Garami, do you know what other aspects Agnir here is a god of?] - Nirmer

"That's... forget I asked." - Garami

[A clever move.] - Nirmer

Having the blessing from a goddess of war sounds anything BUT peaceful.

[See! That's why none of us Ultimate Gods wants this hag to mess with our followers. They will turn into 24/6 berserkers, and I'm not talking about the class.] - Alvatria

[What's so wrong with that? And girlie here should get a reward for that masterpiece she did at the temple.] - Agnir

[But from anyone else than you! Speaking of which, why are you here Nirmer!?] - Alvatria

[I was also infatuated by miss Garami's performance at the Empty Temple of Velantas. It is for other reasons than Agnir though.] - Nirmer

[...Just checking, but what are those reasons?] - Alvatria

[How she busted those bad guys' balls with the bulls! Oh, and that battle at the bride of the Great Scar, that was too one-sided! I looked at the brawl just by coincidence, but damn me was that the right thing to do!] - Agnir

[Are you a kid or what?!] - Alvatria

Hear, hear. I was targeted by a troublesome goddess, other than Alvatria, already then. Great.

[Agnir told me about it and wanted me to see together with her when she found out that you were going to infiltrate the Empty Temple. The reason why I want to reward you is because of your hunting-, no, assassination techniques. The fact that you were never discovered until the hostages had escaped was another good point.] - Nirmer

"Just that?" - Garami

[That, and I feel that us gods need to apologize for getting you involved with Ria.] - Nirmer

[WHAT?!] - Alvatria

[Ah, I'm the same. The other stuff was just a bonus.] - Agnir

[Yeah sure, do you think we're stupid?] - Alvatria

Even her colleagues think she's a pain. Did I pick the wrong goddess to follow? Not that I had any choice.

"Okay, looking away from Agnir's blessing, which sounds like a real pain, [HEY!] I see no reason for turning down Nirmer." - Garami

[Like hell there is! You are my Champion. Mine, and only MINE!] - Alvatria

L-loud mouth. And it's in telepathic stereo for me.

[Buuuut, just watching my Champ ain't satisfying enouuuugh.] - Agnir

[Your Champion is the most active of all the ten Champions right now, so no complaints!] - Alvatria

As I was enjoying the rare occasion of hearing (not seeing, unfortunately) Alvatria, out of all gods on Terra Sol, being serious, it is late now, and I need to catch some more z's, which is impossible at the moment due to those three yapping in my head. How to shut them up...

"...I've got an idea." - Garami

[And one more-, what was that?] - Alvatria

"You said that all the Champions were chosen now?" - Garami

[Nu-hu. Lusa and Tharos still haven't chosen theirs.] - Alvatria

"Tsk, too early then." - Garami

[What's up? Tell me already, girlie.] - Agnir

"First up, it's not 'girlie', it's Garami. Second, the idea I have is a Champion Achievement System." - Garami

The idea is simple: instead of giving a full blessing that gave a power boost in itself, they would grant a blessing without any abilities, except for a couple of simple skills. Not any game-breaking ones, but some really simple ones. This is so that the other gods can give gratulations to the other gods' Champions without making a mess like the current situation.

The source of the idea came from how I got all the Ability skills back when I agreed to become Alvatria's Champion. The gods will copy what we did back then, including a fancy wrapping in the form of an empty blessing.

My real goal with this is to save the Champions (more precisely, me) from getting some weird blessings. The 'curse' I got from the Emperor Kodokumo was also classified as a blessing, and it's was nigh impossible to block that from messing you up unless one got something like [Heretic Immunity]. But I kept this part for myself.

"And the excuse you can give to the rest of the world is that the Champions is incapable of obtaining regular blessings from other Ultimate Gods, so you made the Achievement System as a means to congratulate the other Ultimate Gods' Champions when they do great deeds." - Garami

[...Doesn't that sound good? With that, we can reward the other Champs as well. Helpha did say something like wanting to reward that Champ of yours, for that thing with that scrap-metal Disaster.] - Agnir

[Yes... and this can force Lusalki and Tharos to chose their Champions already as well. We can also give Achievements for what the Champions did before the System got started.] - Nirmer

[Fiiiine. But seriously no strange effects to those Achievement-blessings. And they should only be given for stuff the Champions did AFTER they turned Champions.] - Alvatria

[Ria is worried Lusa and Yrla will steal her Champion.♪] - Agnir

[You bet I am! Those Holsteins don't know a single thing about restraint!] - Alvatria

[No, that is you...] - Nirmer

Aren't they finished discussing god-stuff in my head already? They accepted my idea, so I won't turn into a warlord by tomorrow.

[And we can use this to decide that thing we talked about before.] - Agnir

Say what?

[Ahh, that. Yes, this is a good opportunity for that.] - Nirmer

What is that?

[Hmm, true, that wasn't that big of a thing that would make the other guys decide not to give Achievements to the other gods' Champions.] - Alvatria

Seriously, what is that? I'm starting to get nervous.

[Then, it's decided! And I will give girlie an Achievement for all the stuff she did today, plus the idea about the whole Achievement thing.] - Agnir

[That sounds fair, but it was yesterday night, not tonight. The date has changed for her.] - Nirmer

[Just don't add any strange stuff to that thing, then I'm happy.] - Alvatria

"Uhm, that thing you were talking about-" - Garami

[Be glad for being granted my blessings girlie! It will take some time to force the other guys to agree, so wait till tomorrow for it!] - Agnir

[She means when you wake up. Ta-da.] - Nirmer

"Hey, wait!" - Garami

Before I could ask what that was, the connection was broken. Even the sound-barrier got turned off.

Did I do something unnecessary? Are the world (the Champions (me) ) gonna get into trouble now? 

Argh, the suspense is killing me! Just gonna get back to bed and sleep my worries away! Good night!

...

If the only Champions that are missing are those of water and death, who and what are the Champions of Chaos and Order?

Hmm?

Hhmmmm??

HHHHMMMMM????

Kigal-Note: Blessings

Blessings are powers granted to someone by someone with higher powers than the receiver.

Blessings can grant special abilities like titles, and they can also come with skills. The number of skills obtainable through blessings is not limited like with titles. The skills attainable through a blessing is limited to the abilities of the one who gave the blessing.

A blessing can only be given by semi-spiritual, or spiritual beings, such as celestials, spirits, or demons. The quality of the blessing depends on the abilities of the granter.

Blessings can also be used to make kin. A kin will be spiritually connected to their master, allowing them some access to skills, evolutions, and other abilities that are normally restricted to the kind of creature the master is. 

Another type of blessing is naming. When a nameless creature gets named by an individual, including themselves, the named creature's latent abilities can have a chance of increasing. Since this only affects the creature's latent abilities, the increase cannot be shown through the World System. The increase has a greater chance to occur if the person who grants the name is superior to the named creature.

Amongst the many skills of the Terra Sol World System, there exists a skill named [Blessing]. It works like a regular blessing, granting the target the powers of the skill-holder. This is only a temporary effect, and can, therefore, be considered a buff-skill. One cannot stack these skill-blessings on top of each other, and two individuals cannot grant their temporary blessing to the same individual at once. They also cannot bless themselves.

In the case where one can grant several types of blessings at once, granting one blessing to a creature can turn into granting several blessings at once if one is not careful.

In some cases, a too strong blessing can have negative effects on one's psyche, if, and only if, the blessing is too enormous for the blessed party to withstand.

Mira's comment: So, the weaker the blessing, the safer it is then. Guess Garami is the best of choice when on that subject.

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