That night, in high spirits, Lia aimed to become a hero and wielded her sword until dawn, only falling asleep when she was completely exhausted.
What she didn't know was that Aiko in the next room was also meditating.
She went to bed later than him.
It wasn't just the two of them.
With the announcement from the World Tree Divine Court, the entire continent and all races were in an uproar.
Become a hero and gain the favor of the World Tree Divine Court.
Such benefits can even affect the entire ethnic group.
Previously, the most powerful race on the Secret Realm Continent had always been humans, with orcs and elves ranking behind.
One hundred thousand Hero Stones gave hope to the orcs and elves.
We must obtain more Hero Stones to surpass humanity!
Adventurers of all races were eager to get started.
The number of people entering the World Tree also doubled from that day onwards.
Everything is for the purpose of climbing to a higher level of the World Tree before the Hero's Stone arrives, thus increasing the chances of obtaining it.
...
at the same time.
On a dirt road in the Sparrow District.
Under the cover of night, the dilapidated houses looked like unsightly bumps.
The road was littered with household garbage, and occasionally there were clumps of excrement that released a foul stench in the hot summer.
But the adventurers here are used to it.
The Sparrow District is a bit run-down, but at least it's located inside White Dove City, and you can reach the Secret Realm Plaza in three or four hours on foot.
In contrast, outside the high walls of White Dove City lies a barren wasteland.
Even towns where you can stay are not safe; you must always be on guard against attacks from monsters in the wild, and even more so, be wary of your own kind.
Within White Dove City, safety and proximity to the World Tree are two major advantages that make the Sparrow District not so bad after all.
In the darkness of night, a drunken couple walked by.
Linda, supporting the swaying Kaphni, couldn't help but cover her nose, revealing a hint of disgust.
This god is so weak.
He got so drunk after just three large glasses of beer that he staggered around and vomited on his clothes.
Fortunately, the two of them were traveling together. If Kaphni had gone out alone, she would most likely have passed out drunk in front of the barbecue restaurant and been picked up by adventurers.
The big white panda will surely get slapped until it's swollen.
"Slow down, slow down."
"I'm about to throw up."
A faint groan escaped from Kaphni's throat.
Linda stopped helplessly and waited for Kaphni to catch her breath before continuing on her way.
He went inside the Adventurers' Guild in the Sparrow District. A cool breeze in the lobby and some free hot water should make Kafni feel better.
There weren't many people in the Adventurers' Guild late at night. The lobby was like the bank in Linda's previous life, with many rows of chairs and a few windows at the back for handling various adventurers' services.
Linda placed the Kaphni on the chair and took a paper cup to get some water.
Next to the water dispenser was a huge wooden board, and in the very center of it was a notice containing a trace of magic.
Against the backdrop is a vibrant green World Tree, emitting a firefly-like glow. Gilded lines adorn the edges of the notice, making it visibly distinct from other ordinary notices.
"An announcement from the World Tree Divine Court?"
Linda glanced at the contents above and suddenly understood.
Unbeknownst to many, the large-scale autumn event, "Heroes Descend from the Sky," has already arrived in the middle of version 1.0 of the game "Secret Realm Continent."
To put it simply, this is an event created by game designers to boost sales and squeeze players' wallets dry.
Drop 100,000 Hero Stones into the World Tree. The higher the level, the greater the chance of getting them when opening treasure chests after clearing a level.
In order to reach higher levels, players have no choice but to open their wallets and let the developers harvest their money, turning them into fat, money-grubbing sows.
In the game, the Hero Stones you obtain can be traded. Their purpose is to grant you the title of 'Hero' and increase all your attributes by a percentage.
These kinds of items that increase percentages have always been a favorite of the super-rich.
Linda once grinded for a month and obtained two Hero Stones.
However, reality is quite different from the game. The Hero Stones that drop in the real-world secret realm are used to advance the user's profession, granting the user the suffix 'World Tree Hero', and are untradeable and forcibly bound to the individual.
What would happen if I, already the chosen hero selected by Kafni, obtained the Hero Stone?
We can't just let it go to waste, can we?
To figure out what the Hero's Stone would do with her, Linda went to the World Tree Goddess statue in the hall.
He wanted to meet that large, beautiful woman.
Besides asking about the use of the Hero's Stone, he had another important matter he hoped to get an answer from the World Tree Goddess.
As for the water that was supposed to be for Kaphni, Linda forgot about it.
It's okay to drink it later, right?
Little did they know, at that moment, Kaphni's throat was parched and she was dizzy as she slumped in her chair waiting.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that Linda not only did not go to fetch water, but also ran to the statue of the World Tree Goddess, clasped her hands together in a devout expression, and silently prayed.
"Clam?"
Kaphni's eyes widened.
As a fellow deity, she felt intensely betrayed by Linda's unjust actions.
You are the hero chosen by this god, how come you are getting so close to other gods?
Linda told her about the legendary skill [Blessing of the World Tree Goddess] in private.
The other party seems to really like the hero she chose!
"You damned goddess, don't steal someone else's hero!"
Kaphni cried out inwardly in frustration.
Now let's talk about Linda.
He closed his eyes and prayed sincerely to the stone statue.
Will the World Tree Goddess respond to my call in the dead of night?
Linda, with a sliver of hope, silently prayed.
As it turned out, only three seconds had passed.
In the darkness, the World Tree Goddess, with her long, emerald-green hair and a gentle, loving motherly demeanor, appeared!
Perhaps to accommodate Linda's race, the World Tree Goddess's height has been reduced from over five meters to about 1.7 meters.
The World Tree Goddess was slender and curvaceous. Leaves formed her emerald green dress, tightly wrapping her exaggerated figure. Her bare feet had pink toes that floated slightly in the air, untouched by any filth.
Her beautiful face radiated maternal glow, and her enormous, proud member swayed slightly with her breath, like a heavy, ripe fruit.
Linda dared not cast any disrespectful glances at this goddess, who was a manifestation of the world's will.
This place was probably some kind of spiritual world. He controlled his consciousness to lower his head, place his right hand on his chest, and bow slightly, performing a common courtesy among adventurers.
Linda said respectfully, "Goddess of the World Tree, please forgive my late-night intrusion. I have come with some questions and hope to receive your answers."
"No problem, please go ahead and ask. I will do my best to answer your questions."
The World Tree Goddess smiled, her fingers like the tenderest white scallions, gently lifting them upwards, and a soft spring breeze helped Linda straighten his back.
"Also, hero, please call me Tricia, that's my name."
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