Mathew pursued a list of available things he could acquire here. Half of it he had no clue what it was. Luckily, Cherry was there to explain things that were not evendent.

“Cherry, what is ‘An Evening ontop of Gaia’s Pillar’?”

She read it over his shoulder, “So, like Berry said half an hour ago. There are some rewards that are not spelt out for a reason. This is one of those. It’s for those who are in search of inspiration. Axiom’s, improving Abilities, Skills, Spells, perhaps with a craft or simple elemental enlightenment. It’s up to you to figure out what you want to do there.”

“Right, but what would I get out of it? I just go there and suddenly get one of those?” Mathew asked. “I’d assume it has to do with cultivation.”

Chuck shook his head in disappointment, while the other three looked at each other. Wary gestured at the list. “See, this is why we suggest we stick with the suggested list. All of those questions get answered for you in one of the classes.”

“Gaia understands nobody on your planet has an inkling of the outside universe or how everything works.” Chuck started to explain. “She is the kind of God to plan eons in advance. One of her pet peeves is fixing mistakes or playing catch up. Which she wants to avoid with every one of her followers from Earth.”

Mathew took a sip of wine, “I know, but I like to see my options. You said it yourself, I will have plenty of extra potential to spend here.”

“After the suggested route. Already you have over a week planned out that we suggest. That includes classes on what you can expect in the universe, how to cultivate with and without a manual, and-”

“A manual I already have. I also have mana channels already, so we can remove that class.” Mathew pointed out. “I am doing rituals, which I won’t say no to a class, but I think I can skip the Novice class and jump right into Beginner.”

Berry shrugged, “We can’t force you which options to take.”

Mathew continued to read over everything. “So, what exactly can I expect? There are plenty of things I want, but I doubt I can have it all. What about smaller things? Food? Bedding? Clothes? Does it cost me to breathe?”

“Not that in-depth.” Wary said. “Just every day you are here will cost you. Every class or lesson will cost you. Gaia has you scheduled to not do anything until she speaks to you first. If you were to only take the suggestions, and then spend the rest of your time here relaxing or doing things on your own, you can stay an extra three weeks living a lavish life.”

Mathew liked the sound of that. Three weeks to wait out until the Beginner floor boss showed up, then rush the Apprentice floor. Yet, he needed to gain more levels. He was only Level 33 now after the golem dungeon and the entire week of fighting before that. Agnox was close to ranking up himself along with Jeffery as well.

Several thoughts and ideas popped up inside his head. “It would be nice to stay here as long as I possibly could.”

“And you can!” Cherry said with a smile.

“I think you should sleep on it.” Berry said. “You're slotted to meet with Gaia in a few hours. Rest up and you can talk with her. Keep in mind you only get an hour. So prepare yourself with questions and ideas. Gaia can’t tell you everything, but she’s here to help you.”

Mathew went to his room and relaxed on the bed. It was heavenly perfect. Thoughts and ideas ran across his mind of what to do. His primary goal would be to ask Gaia for help with his soul.

After that, everything is extra. Further his cultivation, new rituals and items, maybe a better summon than a Bush could be obtainable.

He found it odd that nobody else had shown up yet. He was the first and not even one of Gaia’s followers. Was his quest that easy? Was everyone else tasked with harder ones? It was hard to tell.

Less than two hours here and Mathew was tired. Extremely tired. Only two weeks inside the World Quest had pushed him. He couldn’t get a good night's rest with the threat of danger around every corner. Even when he passed out from the first horde, it wasn’t a proper sleep. It was the kind of sleep you were forced into.

As he properly relaxed thanked to the wine, sleep snuck up on him and took him away.

----------------------------------------

Mathew stretched and felt amazing. Far beyond amazing. It was safe to assume the bed was something made with high quality materials. It’s not the spring mattress from Earth or the air-matress he used in the World Quest dungeon when he could.

He was going to milk this reward for all he could. Staying for as long as he could. A deep part of him wanted to take a vacation. To eat rich foods, drink expensive wines, and possibly find someone to share a bed with. Mathew knew inter racial couples were a thing. Dryads look mostly human. Cherry was acting a bit flirty.

Yet, there was a reality he accepted. This wasn’t the time to relax. Mathew was still inside the World Quest. The bonus reward was more than he ever expected. It showed just how crafty Gaia or any God could be.

Mathew assumed hundreds of people had quests from their respective Gods to end up in places like this. If Gods can’t interact with humans on Earth, then bring the humans to them. Mathew was impressed. Now it was his turn to turn this gift into an offering to himself and his future.

First things first was his conversation with Gaia. “Anyone there? How long until I need to meet with Gaia?” Mathew asked aloud.

A portion of the wooden wall morphed and a pink wooded human appeared. “You have a little bit more time. Anything I can get you while you wait?”

“I’d probably need a new set of clothes. I didn’t pack anything fancy. Plus I am a bit hungry.”

“Of course! I’ll get you what you need.” She said and disappeared. A few minutes later she returned with an outfit and a plate of food. The plate had yellow colored meat, mashed yams, and green beans.

“What’s the meat?” Mathew asked.

“It comes from a Student ranked beast here. It’s very delicious and hearty. I assumed you would want a heavier meal. The outfit should fit you.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Mathew ate before getting dressed. The meal was the best tasting food he ever had. Every four or five star restaurant paled in comparison to this simple looking meal.

The outfit was a three layer suit. Charcoal grey with its primary color and an off white under color. Mathew put it on and turned toward Cherry. “How do I look?”

“Splendid. Mo- I mean, Gaia will love it.” She beamed at Mathew.

“Good, do you know the way?”

Cherry led Mathew through a series of wooden hallways. At first, they were going upward, toward what Mathew assumed would be the top of the tree. But, they exited the main trunk and walked across a branch the size of a six lane highway. At the end was a table, and two chairs. Sitting in one of the chairs was a bronze colored woman wearing a pink floral dress. Her hair was made of vines similar to that of the Dryads, but the vines were moving as if they were snakes.

“Mathew! I heard you were the first to arrive, but you are still early.” Gaia said and gestured toward the seat across from her. “Cherry, thank you for bringing Mathew here to me. You and your siblings take a break for a while. I’m sure Mathew and I have a lot to talk about.”

Cherry bowed and waved bye. Mathew looked Gaia up and down, “No Santa outfit this time?”

“No no, nothing that brash. Sit please, I imagine you have a lot you wish to talk about. Would you like some tea? Complimentary, this won’t cost you.”

Mathew nodded, “Of course. Tea from a supposed God? I can’t say no.”

“Now, keep in mind I can’t say too much here. I imagine you figured out the purpose of bringing you here by now.”

After taking a sip of tea, he nodded. “It’s clever. Bringing the humans here instead of interacting with them on Earth. What other plans have you come up with?”

“Dozens. None that really need your insight. Not the first planet to be integrated, won’t be the last. Now, if you were to become a follower of mine…” She left the offer open.

“I’ll consider it, but my answer will be no still.” Mathew stated. “I have many things we could talk about, but I’m wondering if there is anything you wish to tell me first.” He took a sip of tea and looked the God into her eyes. They were not normal. There was a light that humans had that Gaia did not. It was as if she was a porcelain doll.

“That’s not how this works, Mathew. I am here for guidance and to answer questions, not tell you everything.”

“What if I asked for you to tell me everything?” Mathew asked cheekily.

“Then I will answer what I can, but you have only so much time. Time that is ticking as we speak now.” Gaia replied then took a sip of tea herself.

With a shrug, Mathew accepted the answer. “Fine, I have a few major questions. What is your plan with me? The four Dryads think I’m a follower of yours. Why treat me like someone I’m not.”

“That’s your first question? Well there is a short and long answer. I’ll give you a mix of the two.” Gaia huffed, which Mathew didn’t think a God needed to breathe. “Doozkora is my plan for you to put simply. Remember, there are natural laws for fighting outside your weight class. At my end of everything, Doozkora can’t be touched by me. Not directly. Hence the need for you.”

“You still want me to kill her.”

“I do. You have a lot of work ahead of you. Doozkora is at the Expert rank, and fresh into it when she betrayed me. That is past the Border of Reality. You have yet to even step past the Mortal Coil. You will need to reach Expert rank to have even a chance of fighting Doozkora. She can’t touch you before then unless you act first.”

“Oh you mean like coming into my mind and fucking with me?” Mathew asked.

“Unless you were to invite a piece of herself into you, no she couldn’t.”

Mathew opened his mouth then closed it. He wasn’t shocked, just miffed at how she revealed she knew. “How much can you see?”

“Your entire soul. I’m a God, you are in my domain, nothing is hidden from me. I had assumed you were going to ask about that first.”

Gaia put her cup of tea down, “I’m going to be very honest with you here Mathew. I feel like you would value that. You have a very limited chance of progressing. Your soul is a mess. If you were my follower, I would kill you out of mercy. The fact that you sit here in front of me is a feat I wouldn’t give to anyone like you. No knowledge, no God, nothing to guide or help you.”

“Can you tell me everything? I want to hear it from your point of view. What you felt, what you heard, emotions, desires, everything. If you do, I can better help you. Right now I have two ideas to help you, neither of which I feel like you will like.”

Mathew put his cup down, and told her everything. “My soul was attacked by a spirit created by a Necromancer. Before then, I had bound myself to an Imp called Agnox through a spell called [Bind Familiar]. It was upgraded to that thanks to my Lawyer title. When my soul was shattered, I felt myself dying. Slipping away into darkness.”

Old anger started to fester in Mathew about Bob. “Yet I held on. I grabbed out to everything. To stop myself from falling apart. Part of that was Agnox, who helped me solidify my soul a bit. Whatever I took from him or connected us with felt perfect. As if he was always a piece of me. With the others, it was a bandage, and I still feel that today. There was one more piece that came from my, or rather, Doozkora’s rod.”

Mathew pulled out the rod and placed it onto the table. Gaia didn’t react to it at all. “When I was finishing a vision from a reward of some sort from The System, I went into seclusion. I needed a quiet place. After I pondered upon it, Doozkora appeared in my mind. It taunted me. Attempted to fuck with me in my mind. Since then, I’ve had trouble sleeping. Last night was the first night of a good sleep I've had since then.”

“Doozkora was in my mind. That’s beyond personal. I was scared and I wanted to kill that bitch. So because you want me to kill her, that’s just an added bonus. It’s personal now.”