PoV: David.

Petrina slowly breathed, then settled into her tale.

As a young rabbitkin goddess, Petrina had a day starting out when she felt bad in one of her peoples' fateful harvests; so she went to the lounge space, and happened to meet another young goddess. Gabi the Goddess of Merriment seemed a fun person to be around, and even lifted her dark mood that day. So ever since, Petrina considered Gabi the 'go to' girl to sharing happy thoughts.

For two hundred years from then to now, Petrina always considered Gabi well balanced, emotionally. Except for the one decade she dated the big 'bad boy' werewolf deity, Dhareff the Demigod of Misery. Why did a goddess of happy things date a demigod of such negative things? Gabi could only say she was attracted to him.

'Opposites attract?'

But also Petrina admitted, 'bad things' seemed to follow this werewolf guy. She'd even secretly warned Dhareff, 'stay away from Gabi' which only got laughed at. Thereafter, she let Gabi make her own choice.

When Dhareff publicly dumped Gabi, her figurative world (head and heart) seemed overturned for a while. It's natural; such fun loving people often dwell on the hurt and pain, after experiencing it so close. As Gabi had thrown herself (blindly maybe) into the relationship, she got taunted more when Dhareff strode around with his new toy of the decade, some little slutty succubus demigoddess.

I listened as Petrina continued to speak, continued to unload more fears and worries over the absent goddess.

From what I'm hearing, Petrina could only further consider from observing Gabi fall apart back then, she could rebound ― and she seemed to. But in this new state of things, she now knew things are not alright for her friend.

"What can I do? What should I do?" she shakily asked.

'I ... no I am not the one to ask!'

"Find Gabi, and get the truth from her. It might be the only place to start." This is what I hope, for the full truth to be revealed, maybe in an intervention. "Only with her opening up and telling her side, can Gabi and the rest of us find peace."

"... I'm afraid. What if she went ... well there's a place, sometimes where damaged deities go, to return their souls to the cosmos-"

This is a shocker. Some deities ... really do that?

---

PoV: Goblin tribe shaman Gagor.

Goblin life not happy, now.

Gagor see tribe. Tribe is work hard, king say many thing. King did this anger words, many time. Always anger at new way, no Gabi but human David make king mad even not here. New Kika make king mad too, even not here.

King anger, all time since hear 'ee vauv' word. King make all goblin pee when speak! Gagor pee! King daughter pee! Idiot Lummi, he pee poop fart loud noise too! Cave shake too!

Gagor tired. Lummi stand front of Gagor when king speak-

-so Gagor wash clothe four time this day. Go away Lummi.

Why tribe life change now, why thing different.

Because. Before, Gabi talk, do this 'teach'. Gagor have fun learn, listen, see. Change some days ago. Gabi give great sex. Mate many time each male in tribe. Do this many day in a row, til even last male fall asleep or die by sex. King tired see tribe lose many ones, also not get more goblin by sex to Gabi. Then Gabi say, she go see other mortal, do this too.

Sometimes day, sometimes week, Gabi be back, do more. More sex, more seed all over, more spray on body and floor, many hour of sex.

One day, see her come in cave, see her cry, she mate anyway. Cry, cry, cry all day, sex anyway.

She not say why, no goblin get answer why cry.

See goblin turn sick now, make sex frenzy then fall dead. One fall two day back, two fall one day back, three fall today but day no over; what see four next day? Five?

Make Gagor sad somehow. Is worry, no answer. Goblin tribe not know, sex with goddess wrong? Many goblin say this, after this day. Say it even now. Goblin do sex to goblin, okay. Goblin do sex to goddess, not okay to Gabi think? No know answer.

Then. One day. Gabi not come back. Gagor call Gabi come back ― Gabi only female make Gagor sex tired to happy way. Still no Gabi.

Gagor cry if think. Want Gabi be back more-

-want Kika too, and Kari too-

No. Tribe know, Kari die, Kika almost die but human/god find first. Human/god protect Kika, goblin girl his ... mate?

Is what Kursk say, last time in cave. King say too, words true?

Now. Kursk say, see body Gukka. Gukka die? Gukka not chance mate Kika one more?

More sad Gukka not live.

Sad reason ... Gagor know, keep Gukka secret ... Kari alive.

Shh; not say. Never say. Never let king hear! Shh!

Gagor say, Kari Kika best chances goblin tribe better.

King not like if Gagor say words, but Gagor know.

... Kari alive.

Gukka tell, hunt many wolf by mallet. Mallet ability cure Kari, Kari not so die, come back and hide. Means, tribe exist chance better, Kari alive.

Gagor thank human make mallet ability. Gukka thank human same reason. Gukka not like human other reason. Same reason, goblin to goblin sex okay, goblin to other sex no okay.

But no tell king. Gukka tell Gagor, is okay. Gagor not tell other. Kursk tell heard Gukka say, still okay maybe king not believe. Time pass king even forget, Gagor play safe keep king busy, keep king see other things. King not need remember Kari, til time right.

So. Kari alive. Kari where? Forest? Valley? Sky? Ha ha no sky Kari- Gagor make laugh from belly. Maybe make noise like Lummi too. No see Kari, no can say Kari where, not know; king not get Gagor tell -

But. If tribe 'sick', who help? If human say words true, Gabi go, no come back. Human David here, instead Gabi. Good or bad? Help tribe not fall 'sick'? Think hard call David now too, David no answer too.

King say, tribe ready, go, now! No Gagor no ready. (Gagor think ahead, play safe.) Gagor show wound leg, not able go fight. (Is secret. Leg not hurt. Is berry juice stain. Ha, no want go war walk. Hope king believe.) King glare, turn go anyway, no Gagor go with, feel happy but look sad like want go.

Tribe army gone, all male can fight go too. Ha ha safe. Gagor here, cave dry safe warm, pretend leg hurt but not hurt, have fifty female around-

... Gagor show goblin females special thing-

... huh? Idiot Lummi not go too?

Um. See. Lummi. Son. Have mission. Send you, find orc. Biggest orc. No bring orc here! Fight orc there!

Bye Lummi. Will pray Lummi win (no win, no win). Now, tribe female time come to me.

Gagor smart, yes?

-think more smart be king, yes?

Gagor think be king, use think much, use smarts more, do this 'ee vauv' like Kika.

---

PoV: David.

"Petrina."

She glanced directly to my eyes.¹If this seems an odd moment for a transition, well ... I did have a fuller scene of dialog to go with it, a moment of sexual tension between them too; but it didn't make sense so suddenly. At the end of the redline edits ... this is what remained. Sorry, just roll with it-

"This doctor woman ― she did say to me, I should probably be checked out. I think by extension, this means anyone and everyone she has had contact with, should also get this diagnosis too."

"I know. I've already had a checkup in the last century, so I should be alright-"

"-but have you had contact with Gabi since that time, have you shared body contact-"

"-of course we have!" she glared briefly, then resigned herself. "But even sick deities might take a few centuries or even millennia to get to ... oh. It has been two centuries, since she and I first-"

"-exactly. Well I cannot say everyone who has done those things should necessarily get tested again; but from my former world of life, there's a thought of disease expanding not just to the ones an infected person is having contact with, but the other people those persons also touch. It kinda became tradition on someone catching a sex related disease, to report to the medical staff, anyone and everyone the infected had intimate contact with. Seriously, look up a world named Earth and its sexually transmitted diseases in its whole history."

"... so ... you're from there, huh." Her eyes slowly widened. "... David ... your name was David Percival Schmidt, isn't it?"

"Y, yeah."

"So then here's another connect we have. I have this mad woman on my world who keeps talking about you, or 'DPS' as she calls you, that it's your fault for this, or your fault for that-"

"-who?"

"... I dunno, don't remember, just picked her soul out of a bargain bin recently. She thinks she's there to be a great hero or fight some big bad monster ... but I only picked her up to fill out a weak part of my world's cultures, give it some variety. Yeah um, wait I think I remember, her name is .... or was ... Tonya Mannheim."

"... huh."²Uh, oh. Another tie to the past.

"Oh so you do know her."

"... here's the thing. In my business dealings I got rich, very rich, and sold a certain product all around the world. She was a friend since childhood but in later years somehow claimed I was ignoring her and other of our friends. I'm sorry, I told her, but sometimes people do drift apart. I wasn't trying to ignore her as much as focusing on the business side of things. Most of my longtime friends also went their separate ways and didn't make any misery over it; why should she?"

"... she said something like, 'he forgot to show for the date'. Um David, most girls don't like to be stood up-"³(Most ... because I'd assume if any girl did want to be stood up ... she's got something wrong upstairs. But not denying some girls might want that 'stood up' experience. #DontQuoteMe)

"I don't remember that!"

"Hey easy there, it's all I'm recalling what she said now."

"I know! Doesn't make me less frustrated! And now this thing here with Kika and-"

"-and the thing between you and Kika might equate to the thing between Dareff and Gabi? If you can't have Kika but end up with someone else-"

"Exactly!"

"Master," Luria inserted into this. "Former mistress once said to notify her if and when the infection state reached a forty percent mark. But since she is no longer here-"

"-go ahead, tell me."

"-I beg to report, the infection percentage is now forty point three percent."

"... and, what does this mean?"

"Master, it was former mistress' understanding, the chances of applying a medical cure to the world would half, at each ten percent over the forty percent mark."

"The chances, do you mean difficulty?"

"Yes master, as well as the DP cost to perform it would increase, for which former mistress did not have enough.

"Damn." I looked around nervously. "Um sorry Petrina but we may have to cut the rest of the conversation short-"

"I understand. Really. Call me back sometime; for now I gotta find Gabi as well, maybe talk her out of ... ending things."

"... and if you cannot stop her from ending, could you at least have her come back here, one last time? I do need to talk, or rather I do wish to talk to her, face to face. Even if it does bring back a 'negative DP income' for a while-"

"Well if her showing up does that, David, I will be here too, to offset that. And so would likely about fifty other deities want to be here. It's not a small loss, for a deity to face losing one of our own."

She disappeared with a final wave of the hand.

I didn't quite know how Petrina showing up could offset a negative income ... until I looked into my virtual shopping screen.

Seems, I suddenly had another hundred fifty DP in hand, just for the time Petrina was here.

Hmm. Maybe I really should have a friend come visit me, more often.⁴... ahaha, yeah sorry if it seems like a 'webgame' like on a certain social platform, where you get more points the more friends you interact with *cough* certain building/farming games *cough*

---

In the final realization of having things to do, I find out I now need to ... do so much.

"Master."

"Hmm, Luria?"

"A thing needs to be said about the deities you might meet, or indeed other deities in the same vicinity in the cosmos. Some deities do target their neighbor deities, especially those weaker than them, and can conquer them and their worlds. Some deities in the cosmos have accumulated tens of worlds, despite their abilities only extending to manage one tenth of that. I hesitate to inform you of this earlier, because in the case of Mistress Petrina-"

"... because of her, you are calculating she truly is concerned for her friend Gabi, and not in a mood for foul play?"

"-correct. This, and the factor of, in her own times here with the former mistress, she has fond memories of-"

"-aah don't say it, I get the picture."

"And more than this too. While she would gain you as her slave and this world for its assets, another deity has challenged if she ever does so, Mistress Petrina will be conquered by her."

"... how do you know any of this for a certainty?"

"Master, because at separate occasions, both mistresses were here discussing defenses and tactics against being overtaken. From this context I can also assume as of the last decade, Mistress Petrina's world is worth little to no defense value. This world too, could be said to be low defense value, only slightly greater than Mistress Petrina's world."

Yet a new reality seemed to be sinking in. As if it wasn't enough, to be facing disease and mortality, not only of myself but also of my mortal dwellers within the world.

---

PoV: Queen Kika.

I ran through the thick forest, chasing a baby deer running mere tens of steps ahead of me.

Before, I never could have even considered being clever or swift enough to do even this. But now, thanks to my god David, I had somehow grown this much.

I hunted now, to remember what it was like to hunt, while I still could hunt.

The forest path would split ahead; one way would go toward the goblin tribe cave, the other way toward the waters.

To me, the left path meant 'home' almost, even if being with David was my new home; and the other meant adventure I could not have.

Exerting myself one last time, I leapt to the back of the deer and snapped its neck with my arms. The whole running mess fell to the ground, and flipped ― tossing me ahead ― but I only laughed it off. Crawling back, I took out my new knife and started skinning the creature. Make a gift for David with the skin, or if he did not want, I could make newer clothes to replace what got tore in my evolve.

At a noise behind, I spun too, seeing Lummi.

Idiot Lummi. Grinning like a beaver building a dam.

"Lummi."

"... is true Kika? Kika make goblin queen?"

"Yes. I am queen for my new tribe. For the tribe of David."

Lummi's eyes opened wide, then he fell to kneeling before me.

"Make Lummi slave! Need!"

"What-"

I do not understand. Why did Lummi want to serve me, and not stay with the tribe? What has happened in the tribe?

"Lummi obey Kika! Lummi say, Kika now Lummi's queen!"

Drawing a deep breath like I had seen David do before, I asked. "What has happened to the tribe."

"King say, go fight human! Take tribe army, take tribe warriors, take tribe hunters, go fight! Make dead many human!"

"Why is this what he is doing!"

"Gukka father tell, hunters see Kika back. See Kika go over cliff, not know live or die. Gukka father say Gukka, king want say words. King tell Gukka, hunt Kika, kill Kika. Kursk come back later time, say story Gukka die, Kika e, e, ev-"

"I see."

"Kursk tell king, Gukka say, Kari alive."

"I heard this too, from Gukka. Do not know if truth from Gukka."

I frowned. I found it easy to 'revert' to the former way of goblin thought and speech. It was much simpler, less clear though, not like I heard David talk. Without the book in hand, without being with David ― since Lummi did not speak David's language, I had to speak her old language, of the goblin tribe? And because of it, I felt maybe I 'lost' some of the words. Hmm; a thought for some deeper wonder later?

"What of tribe, back in cave?"

"Is Gagor only male there. Is tribe women. Gagor saw Lummi, said Lummi go find orc, go fight orc. Lummi think, Gagor want tribe women no Lummi."

The little goblin grinned, knowing too his own throwaway nature. But in the earlier words Lummi did say here, he wanted to be in my tribe ― did this also go to him wanting to be in the tribe with David?

"Lummi says, wants to be in Kika's tribe. But Kika wants to be in God David's tribe. Does Lummi also want to be in God David's tribe? or in goblin tribe back with King G'gorsk?"

"... Lummi see human, then say?"

I wondered. Always in the tribe they called him 'Idiot Lummi', yet here, I think maybe he is being smart. A smart being would want to see the options, before making a decision.

Oh but yet he did so many 'not smart' things. Passing gases and making loud noises all the time, making the air stink. But what if ... this is also an act? What if Lummi secretly knew things, which would be of benefit to the new tribe?

"Lummi wants to see God David? Make David Lummi's god too? Or no?"

"... Lummi not know, god real. Lummi not know, god not real. Know Kika say. Know, king fear human. Lummi not fear human if stand next me, talk me, help me."

"Good. Then Kika will talk to David, and see if he wants to accept you too."

"Lummi say ok. Lummi also find weapon. Is mallet, Gukka held. Left back in cave. Not able go back Gagor say go away. Lummi sad no mallet."

"... Lummi follow Kika, we go back to cave?"

"Lummi follow Kika!"

---

PoV: David.

I cleared my throat, focusing on a singular thought.

"Luria. I believe you from earlier. When I said something about the nature of whether I was ready to stand before so many in the city or not, and you told me did it matter where the calmness came from ― I need to do more. I need to visit more cities and monster tribes and all that. I have to, at least to open up a dialog with the peoples and races of this world, a dialog that does not include the sex as did Gabi. I need help, I know this; but I do hope, even if I fear the change, you can help me through it ... if I do not adjust easily."

"Acknowledged, master. This is part of the system which is here to help you; I shall do my part as you have expressed now. Are you ready to go?"

"... yes. Somewhere small, to start ... and then as I go ... slightly larger. If possible."

Luria nodded. "Selecting ... village found. Residents, thirty four catkin; nineteen male, fifteen female. Three in elderly stages, seven in comparable middle ages, eleven in common adult ages, eight adolescent aged, and five are children or infant. Sending you now-"

Thankful for the partial demographic hint, I felt myself disappear from here.

---

I sense glowing particles around me, as Luria is 'slowing down' the transport effect for some reason.

In this village center, I see only two beings ― catkin. One is an elderly female, marked as the tribal chieftain; one is a young adolescent male.

"Hey everyone she's ... uh, you aren't Gabi!"

He bares his teeth, preparing to attack.

"Hold!" I shout before the matter gets out of hand-

-but it could, so easy. The boy is only holding back out of sheer uncertainty of what will happen to himself, nothing more.

Forms of more adults file out of the seven structures here.

"What have you done to Goddess Gabi!"

"... I have a story to tell all, if you will listen to my words."

I am speaking to the adults in the catkin tribe, mostly to the female chieftain but any adult who might influence others is of my concern. This is how I handled the oratory requirements of my past life, I sought out those key influences in a crowd, and spoke as if talking to them. It seems with this social anxiety and its tendency to make me feel wary around people ... if I just focus on one or a few, I could handle a situation. For here too, I will try.

Already somehow Luria ... or the system, not sure which ... is supplementing my 'courage' so maybe I can remain fluent, throughout this ordeal.

The lady chieftain nods slowly, and I opt to continue, despite the glares of the youngsters who expect Gabi to be there ... and for her to be doing the obvious acts with them maybe.

Starting with a good head of steam ... now since it seems all the tribe is here, maybe except for the children ... I speak. I tell all of them the truth, whether they want to hear it or not, only holding back on the disease talk. Hmm, maybe good practice too for as I go along. I know, one of these times I may face a major backlash against my being here and not Gabi.

Incredibly, to their credit and not mine, they seem to take it well. At least for the females of the tribe, maybe they are relieved their men are not drawn away for the sex anymore. But also I hear and see sadness in those same males' faces ... acknowledging how they won't have the same orgies anymore.

"Is she truly not coming again?" asked one particular white furred male, who looked like the bipedal humanoid equivalent of a Persian cat. "We ... cannot-"

"No," shot back his mate. "You do not need that, any more, Tom-tom. You have me."⁵... poor Tom-tom. You will be missed. #SorryNotSorry

"... really cannot?" he pressed.

I sigh.

"Tom-tom. Kassa-nya is your mate. She is for you, you are for her. But one reason more, I must tell this tribe. From Gabi doing these mating things, she got a sickness. She is ill. And this sickness spread through mating with others and with body fluids like saliva or blood, or coughing or sneezing on another. For this reason, it is good for only mates to be mating; and for everyone even if not mating to keep their bodies clean. It will not stop the spread of this disease, but it will slow it down, while I work to find a cure."

"... sick?"

This same guy. Tom-tom. He still wants to do it with someone else, even now it seems.

Well, he might be infected too-

"You might have this sickness too, Tom-tom. I do not have the cure, yet. You want to have sex, you should do this with your mate. If both of you have it, or if both of you do not have it, you may mate with each other no problem, for now. But do know, if you have it but she does not, or she has it but you do not, the one who has it will infect the other with the sickness. I do not have a way to see who has this infection, this sickness, right now. But I know someone who might know."

The chieftain's jaw fell open slightly. "God David ... are you not the god in this world now? You do not have the way to help us?"

I pause. The next few words are going to be ... tricky.

"Please remember. I only just arrived to this world, some hours ago. more than a day, less than two days. I am still trying to learn what is needed, among all peoples in this world. This infection is among all people, not just one tribe or one land or one race. This is what I have to find the answer to."

This tribe of catkin might be slightly matriarchal too; I see hints Kassa-nya might be the chieftain's daughter, and her mate Tom-tom was supposed to be the prized warrior to defend the tribe, kind of like a 'chief sentry' or something. It might embarrass Kassa-nya more too for her mate's infidelity, but the serious effect of the disease is something to not bypass.

"What is this disease, what are its symptoms."

"From what I have seen or been told, a higher desire for mating. Yes Tom-tom this might mean you. Also a chance for the body feeling hotter, without being able to cool down. At later stages, the body and mind will be made frantic and frenzied in an effort to mate more. Even if you can hold back, the last stage ... ends with fever and death. I am sorry."

One of the other mature catkin women stepped forth. "Two days back, my daughter died. Her body was hot, and she wanted to mate even though she was too young for this. Does this mean she had the infection?"

"It is possible. I am still looking at many things, across the world; so I do have to go, soon. I will also say, since I am here in the place of Gabi, any worship you will do, will then come to me. Any worship you give of your own free will, I will use to the best way, to find a cure, and help here and in all parts of this world. I will be back, maybe with help too ― in an effort to spread a cure to each and every one of you."

I feel a gentle tap on my side, and look down. It's a young girl, who only comes up to my hip.

"... Mister God David, am I ... am I going to die?"

Her blunt request, it spears me, right here, through the heart. I can only kneel, and speak to her.

"Terah. I do hope for you and all peoples, to be able to live their full lives without this worry. Do I know already if you will die, or even get sick? No, I do not. I am going to work my hardest, do my best, to help you all live. What Gabi should have done for each of you, I am going to ... try ... to do in her place. Please, please do pray for me to have what good result I can."

She is near tears anyway; all I can do is pull her in slow toward my sleeve.

"Be strong, Terah, do not give in to fear or anger. Do what you can, as much as you can. Listen to your tribe, to your family. Each day find something to smile about, and share those thoughts. But now, I must go. So bye-"

I pull back, and with a somber wave, I return to the Approach.

Their worship mana ― sweet, but sad-⁶*sniff* S, sorry. Got something in my eyes.... Terah, I need another hug-

---

'Approach to the Deity'. This is the more apropos term. It sets the mind to thinking of an almost 'holy' rite through which mortals of the world should come to respect their deity for having such a provision.⁷... um. This is what prayer is, right? Making an 'approach' to your deity? #TheologyMatters

But I also wonder, if I am a deity here ... why do I not hear the peoples' prayers? Not even just from Kika, but from Samiel, Anyah, the king, and any of the tens of thousands of residents of that city? Also, why do I have the sudden thought of building some kind of well here in the Approach room?

"Luria I am curious. Why has this Approach room not been cleaned yet? It still seems filthy. How much DP would it take to clean up this space?"

"Master. Clearing an Approach will take one thousand DP and require one half hour of time, unlike cleaning the internal rooms within the core room. Also, performing the process will prevent ingress or egress for the duration, until it is finished."

"Oh. I see. Well then also, why am I also thinking something about a ... a well?"

"Master, this is also a next step I would be recommending, as the DP income increases. Normally for the worship mana which comes into this realm, a 'soft DP cap' of sorts will exist, so any excess above this cap remains but leaks away at a fast rate, until again down to the soft cap amount."

"Sort of like my bathtub back on Earth? It had an 'overflow' drain which did not let the water level rise within the tub above that point; because a person getting into the tub after the water reached here, would then overflow the water over the edge of the tub."

"Yes master. In this analogy of yours, it functions the same. If I am understanding Earth technologies, this overflow drain is the soft cap, but the edge of the tub will then be the hard cap over which nothing more can accrue but truly does 'overflow'. Except in the case of an overflow, the lost DP is not 'lost' so much as just dissipates back into the ether, for other entities to use instead of the deity."

I nod, pondering the next question, or set of questions.

"Then making a well is like making a bathtub, with its both soft and hard capacities? That as I also have a thought, increasing the size of a well also raises one or both of those limits?"

"Yes master, on all of those thoughts. Other limits are at play too; such as the size of these things. The Approach is maintained as a perfect square space. A worship mana well within the Approach cannot exceed one percent of the Approach room length or width. But the depth of the well ― equating to the soft cap ― can be increased too, to one tenth of the length of the well itself. For reference: this deity space's Approach is a square room precisely one hundred meters on a side, or ten thousand square meters of area. This also allows a worship mana well to be up to one meter square. It also will mean, the depth of the well can only be up to ten centimeters deep."

"... and, I have a feeling, you are ready to tell me how many DP such a well can hold?"

"Yes master. Even without a worship mana well, the DP your domain can store is fairly large, right now to around two thousand five hundred sixty DP, plus the cubed root of each room's square meters. But with a worship mana well, the amount of the soft cap is equal to the volume in cubic centimeters times ten thousand. This amount is for the initial, 'level zero' well-"

"Level zero? Starting off with an unsigned digit?"⁸Explanation. Mathematically, a zero is neither positive nor negative; it is a placeholder for a null value. Or: values of -1 and less are negative, values of +1 and greater are positive; both of these mean the digits are 'signed' but a zero by itself is not.

"Yes, master. This is so the deity is urged to expand and improve the worship mana well also. As I am saying, it starts at a level zero, for the above mentioned 'one meter radius and ten centimeter depth' factor. But expanding the Approach so the well can be expanded in radius is not the only way to increase the soft cap; the depth can be increased by again attempting to 'force' it deeper, even while at the maximum size. This works through your own personal statistics; the higher your Intelligence and Personality, the deeper you can push the well depths. The 'level' of the well is a statement of the 'multiples' of volume of the normal well size should be, truncated to an integer ... meaning 'rounded down'."

"... and so what, clean the Approach, expand it, build the well ― and it is automatically at the default maximum size, or ... not?"

"Very astute, master. But no. Many features added into this deity's space will begin at a minimal necessary size, and require the deity to expand and improve the object for some increase in operational efficiency, or some other factor of its existence. Also note, as the Approach is expanded in size after a worship mana well is constructed, the well does not also increase in radius or depth; but must manually be improved ― at the later levels and sizes, this is a multiple hour process which interferes with the worship DP income from being stored."

"Aah I see. Well, you are very informative, Luria; this has given me a lot to think about."

"One last comment in this line of thought, Master. In the case of adding the well, then the previous 'DP cap' of 2560 DP you might see now will be the increased 'hard cap'. Even now, some DP leaks out from not having the worship mana well-"

"Seriously ― this is the reason?"

"... the reason for what, Master?"

"The reason why Gabi no longer could keep any excess DP income? She no longer had this worship mana well? Am I also going to come to a point of 'negative DP income' too from this fact?"

"... in short ... yes Master. On all of those points."

I sigh.

"Only half an hour ... okay clean this place, let's get it ready for a well. I'm ready for a bath, a bed, and a meal, maybe Kika too, not necessarily in this order-"

"-also ... making a well is one part of the requirements for making a physical body for me. Master."⁹Ahem. Seriously, Luria; still at this again? lol

---

As a best guess on why Luria would say this, I am thinking ― with Kika away for the moment, or whether she would come back at all ― either Luria or some part of the system would know, I still desire and need ... a companion.

Well until this pandemic is sussed out, I have thoughts of ... more or less ... not mating with anyone. I have my own two hands; I can do enough damage with those. But even so, Luria probably was programmed to see how biological beings still have this innate need ... to copulate, with someone other than their own selves.

Hey I've lived my life on Earth; I've done things with another body. Sera AI, mainly ... just not ever with a fellow human female, except once ― and I paid for it.

So it really does go back to the thought Gabi told the goblins; her progeny might be 'too much' in her world? I don't know if that's true for me; she may have been speaking truthfully about only her bearing goblins. Yeah that might be too much. But, any other mortal (non monster, non insinuative) race ... 'all systems go' and I could be willing to have a child with?

Yes. I do wonder. Having children in this world, with any of the races. Does a chance of divinity or godhood go to the automatic or 100% chance, for them? Or is it something percentile, going back to those factors Luria previously spoke?

Having made and chewed through a fruit and salad bowl, I am more contemplative and again fall silent for the time. Next, bath time, all warm and soothing and finally getting me to relax. I am clean once more, and feel so thankful this space can do all of this, even still while being so ... suboptimal? Is this the word?

Part of me is also considering the potential of giving Luria the physical body, and then just focusing on mating with her. No children from such couplings; but having millions of beings as sort of 'children', I can feel satisfied enough watching their lives to let off the 'biological clock' aspect.

Then also I do wonder, since I have not specified a 'domain' ... if I am to become a true deity, through one means or another ... I will need this. A domain, in the deific sense, to focus my future acts and will toward. I cannot pick one until I know what ones can be picked, or the process for picking one; yet I also feel like I should be picking one now.

So ... yeah. The only domains I know are those which have been shown to me. Gabi the Goddess of Merriment. Petrina the Goddess of Agriculture. Hejira the Demigoddess of the Hunt. Pinder the God of Art. Carine the Goddess of Health. Ku Dara the Demigoddess of Intellect. Prader the God of War. As well as a few dozen others I overheard from the lounge space. The most confusing of them, a succubus labeled as the 'demigoddess of chastity'; she looked starved in some way.

Me, pick one?¹⁰... which is kinda my lead-in for asking for comments. What should David be looking for, in the way of deific domains?

---

I am almost through the fruit bowl, when a gruff system voice intrudes.

"INTRUSION ALERT."

And even Luria, too.

"... mas- ter-"

Her spoken syllables decline in pitch and volume, as if she is merely a toy winding down playing a tune which cannot get to the last note.

All light, all form of illumination, have ceased; I am now in complete darkness. No, not even like I was at the first day here; now I cannot even see my own fingers as I hold them in front of my face, cover my cheeks and I see nothing. Still feel and hear, touch and taste too; just nothing on the seeing end.

Since I can hear, all that's coming (no pun) to me, is ... only the sound of my hesitant breathing, and the gurgling of food digesting inside my stomach. Feel and taste, also the same; just as equally I can sense those things around and within me too. Only the sight part is withheld from me.

My heart has to be thumping wildly, though this type of situation is not so new to me; after all, it's how I spent my last moments on Earth. An intrusion into my lab on a day I thought nobody would bother me ... and an insurgent team filed into the building. They made short work of it, but in the end when they pointedly asked if I would divulge the secrets of the AI, and I refused-

Sad memory.¹¹... and I have more thoughts on that past Earth life. At some point I'd be curious if a flashback to that moment would be too jarring a scene.

But that was then, this is now. I have no idea who or what is behind this attempt; no way could that assassin lady attack me here if she's on another world now.

Something tells me, I should head toward the 'control room'. As it's only a few steps, I walk forward towards it until I gently bump into the console front. Reaching out to the control surface, I find touching any key does not do a thing. Only the heavy mechanical click of those keys, and the breathing from my lungs, and the adjusting contents of the fruit pieces within my stomach are what I hear.

At a mere sound from the 'door' back out to the Approach, I hear a soft tap-

Someone is trying to come in-

From this, my mind immediately goes toward an intrusion ― much like what I last experienced on Earth ― would I again face death in a similar situation?

On that day, I had also been in the office, alone ― I had not ducked or hid, in the first moment I could have. But from the unfair 'interrogation' by the assaulting team, I ended up understanding the concept of getting to safety.

Immediately, while this soft tapping is going on, I duck and roll off to the far west side of the console, where an intruder will not spot me ― the side of the console is large enough to hide behind.

The 'door' shattered suddenly. Sound of 'falling glass' rang throughout the realm, though from what I know of the entrance, it's not glass but some solid materials. Lancing light, like that from a handheld flashlight, darted this way and that way ― someone was making their entry.

Stay calm, stay calm here-

Heart thundering in fear, palms sweaty but with my breath held back (except for shallow breaths to keep me from panting), I follow my own first thoughts.

"Ku and Pug, take the west; me and Bo will take the east."

"Eh Prader, I wanted the east-"

"Shh. Might still be someone-"

"Hey you said our names, jerk."

... hey I remember, Ku Dara was there in the social lounge space, and so was this Prader. But I don't know the other two, this Pug and Bo-

So. In this deific realm, I now have to contend with four intruders. At least, half of what I had faced before; only these deities may mean serious business, not just a theft of knowledge which led to one of the younger insurgents being trigger happy.

I hear shuffling, and I too maneuver to the south side of the console; calculating that as maybe the safest place to hide.

Between the two here on this end of the room, between Ku Dara and 'Pug', I sense Ku has more seniority; she may be getting closer here but tells the other, "Go search that corner up there, then the west room."

A similar conversation is going in the eastern half; Prader is bullying the effeminate Bo to search the eastern room ― my workshop ― while he plunders the bedroom and bathroom.

But Ku ― I see her own hand light is casted this way, and slowly moved to scan the area, and then aim up at the ceiling.

Pug is waddling around my kitchen, declaring little things like, 'whoever lives here must be a vegetarian' or 'hey this storage is full of fruits and vegetables' and a final 'fuck it I want meats'. Then a rummaging around and I sense many vegetables disappear from my inventory. This Pug guy is stealing my food!¹²... well of all the things a deity could be stealing ... and Pug takes this?

"Onto the other room then, I have my fill of greens," he mutters.

He won't be any happier-

While on the east, Prader found the pink thing on the table ― I seriously must get rid of it, or be less afraid of it ― but he wonders what this is for. A second later, a buzzing sound, and he realizes it. "Aah get it away from me!"

Oh so I'm not the only one, to dislike such things!¹³The return of Chekov's gun!