"Ah, hello dear! I was wondering when you'd return."

I opened my mouth to greet Lucinda, but then stopped in shock. Instead of the usual elderly NPC I had gotten used to, there was now a slightly younger woman in her place instead.

"Lucinda? Er, is that you?"

The woman smiled, her face lighting up with amusement. "Of course, dear. Who else were you expecting in my own shop?"

I felt my cheeks flush as I tried to recover from my initial shock. "Well, I mean, you just look...different."

"Do I?" Lucinda brushed a lock of white hair back, and I could finally see the strikingly gleaming silver within her eyes. "How so?"

[Careful, Player...]

I hesitated. Even for someone as dense as I was, I knew better than to speak about a woman's age. Still, was it better to comment on how much younger she looked now?

"You...you look different. Younger," I finally managed to say, my words tumbling out. "I mean, in a good way. It's just...I wasn't expecting it."

[Real smooth... but at least you tried.]

Lucinda chuckled, her silver eyes sparkling with amusement. "Ah, my dear, you flatter me. I've always been young at heart, you know. It's a blessing and a curse, being immortal."

I hesitated, unsure how to respond. The last time I had seen Lucinda, she had been an old woman. Seeing her like this was...different. "So, is this...permanent?" I finally asked.

"Dear, I'm a being who has lived for centuries. I can change my appearance at will. This," she gestured at her younger form, "is merely how I feel like looking today." She smiled with a hint of mischief. "And don't worry, I'll still be the same old Lucinda underneath."

"Oh," I said, feeling a little foolish. "Right. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, then."

Lucinda laughed, her voice musical. "You know, there's a reason why I've always preferred to keep my appearance a secret. It can be rather disconcerting for those who aren't expecting it." She paused, studying me intently. "But enough about me. It seems that you've grown a lot since the last time we spoke. Your equipment has appeared to gain some power, too. How have you been faring in your journey so far?"

"Well... I've gained a lot more questions than answers regarding this mysterious being that nearly every undead seems to know," I began, taking out my Soultaker. "The Grudge of the Fallen seemed to recognize the energy behind me and a Demon Lord also thought I was this sword's master or whatever."

"Hmm... It seems that you've drawn some powerful attention to yourself," Lucinda mused, her blue eyes sparkling with interest. "And the sword?" She gestured at the Soultaker in my hand. "How has it fared?"

"It's been–"

"I've been faring well, thank you," the Soultaker interrupted me. "Still pondering your true identity. Were we colleagues? Servants of the same master? Why is it that you feel so intimately familiar, Lucinda?"

Lucinda smiled at the sword. "You were always one to speak your mind, weren't you? I suppose I should have expected as much. As for our connection... it's complicated, to say the least. We were both involved in the events that led to the Great Calamity, and our fates have been intertwined ever since. I could tell you more, but I'm not entirely certain how much you'd remember of it."

[!!! This woman knows about the Great Calamity?]

"Great Calamity?" I echoed Sephera's message. "What's that?"

"It appears your Admin was unaware that beings within the Matches are also knowledgeable about what came before..." Lucinda replied with a smile, to the shock of both Sephera and I. This woman was also aware of the presence of an Admin? Wait, if that was the case, then she must've heard Sephera all those other times. That was embarrassing then.

"Worry not, my dears," Lucinda's eyes twinkled with warmth, "As I've stated before, I'm quite fond of you, thus you do not need to fear me. I am more than happy to share what little knowledge I have regarding the Great Calamity." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "It was a time of great upheaval, both for the mortal realm and the immortal beings that resided within it. The world was thrown into chaos as the barriers between the realms grew thin, and beings from both sides began to cross over. The balance of power shifted, and old alliances were tested."

[Right... that was when the Matches began. When the Players were able to use the power of the gods and Admins rose to power.]

Lucinda nodded in response to Sephera's message. "The Great Calamity led to the creation of the Matches, where immortal beings were forced to become supplements for mortals. It was a way to keep them busy, to give them purpose, and hopefully, to keep them from causing any more chaos. Over time, some of the beings grew to enjoy their new roles, while others chafed under the constraints."

I glanced down at the Soultaker.

"I know what you're thinking, and no, I do not enjoy this role," the sword grumbled in my hands. "I'm only fine with this situation because you've agreed to help reunite me with my master."

"Admittedly, even I do not know how the Matches came to be," Lucinda continued with a sigh, "But it is said that the Great Calamity was brought about by the actions of a powerful group of beings who sought to harness the power of the gods for their own ends. In the end, they succeeded only in unleashing chaos upon the world. As for who or what caused the Calamity in the first place, that remains a mystery to this day."

I took a moment to absorb the information. The Great Calamity... it was hard to imagine such a cataclysmic event. It must have been horrifying for both mortals and immortals alike. And yet, here we were, living in a game-like world shaped by its aftermath.

"So... where do you fit in all of this?" I hesitantly asked Lucinda. "You don't... seem like an NPC. At least, a true one. Are you an immortal?"

Lucinda laughed, a sound that was equal parts amused and sad. "Oh, dear, where do I begin? I suppose I should start by saying that I am an immortal, yes. But I am not like the other immortals you've met thus far. I am what one might call a 'rogue' immortal. I have been exiled from the realm of the gods and left to wander the mortal world, my powers greatly diminished. I am, in essence, a goddess without followers."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

She paused, her expression growing distant for a moment. "My exile is a long and complicated story, one that I would rather not delve into at the moment. Suffice it to say that my actions during the Great Calamity did not sit well with the other gods, and they saw fit to punish me. It is a burden I have carried for many centuries, and one that I hope to one day have lifted."

"And your relationship with the other immortals?" I prompted, wanting to understand more about the world I had been thrust into.

Lucinda gave me a small smile. "The system prevents me from saying any more, but let's just say that I was heavily involved with the master of that sword of yours. In essence, the patron whose abilities you now wield."

[!!! Wait, does that mean-]

The Soultaker violently trembled in my hands. I blinked, confused.

"Like... a lover?"

Both Sephera and the Soultaker fell silent, as if I had said something stupid. Which I quickly registered was indeed, stupid.

Lucinda chuckled softly. "No, no, my dear. In terms of relationships, I believe it'd be best to describe it as a sibling. A... complicated one, at that." She paused, regarding me with a knowing smile. "Now, I'm sure you have many questions, and I would be more than happy to answer them, but I fear that the time we have remaining will soon end."

"Wait," I protested weakly. "I didn't have that many questions until we started talking about all of this. And besides that, you only appear when there's something important I need to know or obtain. Is there something like that for me now?"

"Not this time," Lucinda gently replied. "In fact, this visit was never meant to happen. I simply wished to see your progress in person. I'm glad to learn that you have obtained four of the five items of your patron- you still need one more and upgrade the last two."

"Four of the five?" I took a mental inventory. "The Soultaker, Realmwalker, Ring of Collected Souls... and the Pendant of Offerings?"

Lucinda nodded. "I've noticed your Title has also been upgraded as well, bringing you one step closer to your predecessor. Find that last item and upgrade both it and the pendant. You'll need them for the upcoming hardships you must overcome."

I felt a shiver run down my spine at her words. "What kind of hardships are you talking about?"

"Just keep in mind that your big stat numbers do not always equal your strength or importance," Lucinda continued, her tone growing more serious. "There are many powerful beings in this world who wield greater power, power that cannot be measured by such trivial things."

I frowned, feeling confused. "But... numbers are all that dictates this world now. What do you mean by power that can't be measured by them?"

I suddenly felt an invisible force push me towards the shop door. Lucinda gave me a solemn wave.

"It appears that our time has been cut short. Farewell, my dear. I hope to see you again," Lucinda called out, as I was pushed further and further away from her.

"Wait! You can't just leave me with all these questions!" I exclaimed, feeling a mixture of frustration and desperation as I was forced away from her. "Who exactly is this person that my abilities come from? Why is he so secretive?!"

My back hit the shop door. As I was flung out, the last thing I saw was Lucinda smiling at me.

The door slammed shut, and for a brief moment, I thought my vision had blurred. When I was able to see clearly, I realized that the shop was no longer there.

"Great," I muttered to myself, rubbing my aching back. "Now what?"

[Well, what else did you have planned for today? Are you going to push the global floor limit? :o]

"No," I scowled. "I'd basically level up a floor at a time, which isn't a good pace for the 50th floor dungeon break, right?"

[Yeah... so I guess it's the demon dungeon again?]

"Yep," I sighed, heading towards the tower exit. Despite the questions that plagued my thoughts, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. Hearing about beings that went beyond numbers, knowing that I was one item away from completing my patron's set, and receiving a nod of approval from Lucinda was all motivating.

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

Back in the simulation room of the GPA, I was faintly surprised that Tessa wasn't around to join me. Neither were the other members of Enigma. That was okay, since I was sure to be able to solo this dungeon on my own again. With my Achievement that nullified Evil damage and my passive that nullified Holy damage, I had a good feeling that my experience in the Grudge dungeon would be the case here as well.

Once again, I reluctantly injected a million Stat Points into the Skalyt core, watching as it disappeared and turned into a skill that I promptly used.

Taking a deep breath, I entered the green portal, readying my Soultaker.

[Village of the Wicked]

[Quest: Defend against or eliminate all enemies before sunrise.]

[Time Remaining: 00:04:59]

[Upon failure, receive another quest.]

Just like before, I was back in the old, fantasy-like village. The same cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses were as dreary as I remembered. A few of the village's army jogged up to me, their eyes wide with fear and hope.

"Adventurer from another world!" One soldier gasped, his eyes wild with desperation. "You must help us! The enemy forces plan to wipe us all out!"

[Are you going to do the same thing you did last time?]

"Nope," I muttered under my breath as I awkwardly waved my acknowledgement towards the haggard-looking soldier. "I'm going to cheese this dungeon."

Before Sephera could ask what I meant by that, I activated my Grim Mantle, zipping up into the air. At level 1512, the dungeon wouldn't be too much of a problem even if I ran it normally, since I was sure Skalyt wouldn't be able to harm me at all.

Given the nature of human mobs, I was also hesitant to spam Final Gambit on them, unsure of how they would adapt to that. There'd be no point in dragging this out. In my mind, I decided to designate the Grudge dungeon for farming my achievement, and the demon dungeon to farm levels.

High up in the air, I searched the village for their lord, ignoring the royal army that began to spill out from the forest. As far as I was concerned, the conflict here wasn't a problem of mine.

I quickly spotted the village elder, flanked by the familiar guards Right and Left Hand of Uri. Thankfully, their stats were relatively low compared to mine, and it seemed as though they weren't aware of my presence in the sky.

I smiled to myself, gripping my Soultaker tightly. I leaned down and shot directly towards the village elder, swinging my Soultaker at the base of his neck. With nearly 26 million points into Speed, neither the village lord nor his guards had time to react.

Keeping the momentum, I turned and cut both of the guards in half before they could recover from their shock. Since they were separated from the village army, I figured it'd take some time for them to notice their village lord and his personal guards were cut down.

With a satisfied sigh, I eagerly awaited the level up notification, absentmindedly twirling the Soultaker in my hands. It hummed contently, as if also satisfied with my quick and overwhelming display of power.

[System alert: You have gained 0.1 (x261000) experience points.]

[Level up!]

Hell yeah. I almost drooled at the amount of Stat Points I had earned, but then a new system message popped up.

[Irregular pacing detected. Adjusting dungeon progress...]

[Demon Lord Skalyt will be immediately summoned.]

I snorted, turning back towards the center of the village, where the army was thrown into chaos as a red haze floated up from the ground. A part of me expected my actions to immediately clear the dungeon, but I guess this was yet another balance measure by the system. That was fine by me. I wanted to summon Skalyt and see if she'd make good on her promise when I fought Seth earlier.

****

[Updating…]

[Name: Luquier Vaunt | Level: 1772]

[Stat Points: 341,375,975]

[Items]

[Soultaker (10,125,703)] +3