Episode 15.
Naked God (1)
[Have you become a new God?! Congratulations! You are in the top 0.0000001% percent of all beings! Sorry to spoil you though, but there’s bad news. There are just too many like you in the <Depth>! Most are losers who are out of competitions and idiots who can lose Divinity at any time. Huh? Are you afraid that you’ll become one of them?
Don’t worry!
If you are reading my message, that means the blessing of the Goddess of Fortune, Minerva, is upon you! If you heed my advice, you will not have a hard time in <Depth>!
I guess you have a lot of things in mind that you want to do. Maybe you want to show off your newly created world, or work on [Settings] or want to collect [Parts] in your world!
Settings… Parts…
That’s all good. But before you go for those luxuries, there’s one important thing you must focus on. What is that, you ask?
It’s to collect [Followers]!!
It’s very important, so I used two exclamation marks. You, who are a newbie God, might not know why it’s important.
Why do you need Followers?
That is a foolish question! I remember saying this to a newbie God once, when I was asked the same question.
-Hey, what do you think a ‘God’ is?
-Pierre, the God of Coquetry
From the 101 Tips for Newbie Gods
Which was the most dangerous ‘Site’ within <Depth>?
Gods of the <Depth> once had a heated debate on the topic. These were Gods who lived tens of thousands of years, so they needed topics to debate about. Some said that the 1st site where [Big Brother] was located at was the most dangerous, while some said the 4th site where the Mad God existed was dangerous. These two sites were definitely dangerous. The 1st site was off-limits for most and the Mad God was a disaster for ordinary Gods to even have the chance to meet. There were easier ways to get to the place where there was more ‘realistic’ danger.
It was the 8th site, Caspion.
Caspion was nicknamed as the Forbidden Blue Grasslands.
It was the place where all people, Vicegerents and Followers alike hated to be, had visitors.
Through the deep bushes, a boy appeared. At around the age of 17 or 18, he had exquisite beautiful facial features that some would mistake him as a girl. He glanced around and sighed multiple times before he spoke.
“Uh, Goddess?”
It was strange. He was alone, but it didn’t seem like he was just calling out to some random God.
“Goddess, can you answer me please?”
Then, from nothing, a voice came.
[What.]
It sounded like an angry girl.
“Is it really here?”
[It is.]
“But… there’s nothing here. I don’t think there’s a [Fishing Spot] around here.”
There were only trees and grass. And the atmosphere… each time the bush shook with the wind, the boy flinched in fear.
“Can I get out of here… please? I’m really scared. What if the Lost Ones appear?”
[…Don’t start that again.]
The girl voice, who was called a Goddess, sighed.
[Runald, Lost Ones aren’t that common. It’s been tens of thousands of years since the Three Ancient Gods have fallen! They did have a lot of followers, but they are probably all dead by now! And besides, you don’t need to worry one bit even if they appear.]
“…Why is that?”
[It’s obvious. You got me!]
“…You?”
[Yeah! If I, the Naked Andersen, am with you, you are 100% safe!]
Runald sighed.
[…Wait, why are you sighing?]
“It’s nothing.”
Runald just thought instead.
‘To think it was she who appointed me…’
It had been three years since he arrived at the <Depth>. After barely clearing the Tower of Nightmares, the Cultivator of his tower spoke to him.
-You are not going to the <Great Lands>.
-What?
-I don’t know the reason, but a certain Goddess said she will buy you. You will become her Vicegerent in the <Depth>.
A God, not the Lord, appointed him! Runald was excited. However, the excitement faded as soon as he realized the Goddess who purchased him was the ‘Lower Rank God’, the most common type of God within the <Depth>.
“Goddess, I don’t think there will be any [Fishing Spots] around here.”
Runald spoke again.
“Even if there were, no spirit who comes up to <Caspion> can survive. Do you really have to come all the way here to get the Followers?”
That was the start of the tragedy. It all started because of the Followers.
Followers, or spirits who believed in God.
All Gods of the <Depth> required Followers. Unlike Vicegerents, who were enough with just one, the number of followers the God had contributed to their power. The more Followers, the more power the God obtained. It allowed them to make a more powerful World, or use rare Setting or Parts into its world.
-Followers are Power!
The word was famous among Gods. Because of this competition, all spirits within the <Depth> were all [Followers]. In this heavy competition, weaker Gods had only two choices to gain Followers.
First, lure the Followers of other Gods.
This method, also known as ‘headhunting’, was widely utilized by mid to higher ranking Gods. It was done by offering Followers better conditions to take it away. But it was difficult for weaker Gods to use as they had nothing to offer, and there was the possibility of making the opponent Gods become angry and start a war. The lower-ranking Gods were then given one remaining option.
The second option was to find a [Fishing Spot] and fish up a Follower.
This was what Runald and low-ranking God Andersen was trying to do.
“Who told you that there was a [Fishing Spot] here? Huh? Goddess, tell me. Who was it that fooled you?!”
The problem was, it wasn’t going too well.
“Come on! Tell me!”
[…Minerva.]
Andersen spoke with a squeamish voice.
“…Minerva?”
Runald became scary immediately.
“Are you talking about that damn Goddess of Fortune who issues the <Monthly Fortune> magazine?”
[…Uh, it’s her. Yeah.]
Runald began shouting angrily. Andersen quickly began defending herself.
[B-but Minerva said it! Today’s lucky point was the West-North-North of Caspion, Blue, Forest, and water!]
“…”
[This is the only place with Blue Forest which is northwest of Caspion! And the water should indicate that it’s the [Fishing Spot]!]
“…And so what did that damn Goddess say?”
[She said I will meet an important person if I go there.]
“And you think that ‘important person’ is a Follower…”
[Right!]
Runald stopped suddenly. Silence fell between them.
“Goddess.”
[…Yeah.]
“Will you apologize?”
[…I-I’m sorry.]
“We’ll return.”
[…Yeah.]
Runald sighed and turned back. He seemed tired as he walked through the bush. Andersen was also silent as if she was saddened.
***
My reaction when i read the title for this chapter:
(⑉⊙ȏ⊙)