Okay, we should be far enough from the settlement here.

I teleported to the fields next to the river, which make for a good line of orientation to determine my relative position.

First, I let Chiaki out.

"Damn! Heck! I'm certainly not getting used to this." (C)

"Ehm, welcome to my world?" (I)

"Yep, just as I remember it. Don't you think that a bit more color would be nice at times? What about having a sun?" (C)

"We already talked about this. A giant fireball suddenly showing up in the sky would be bad. I don't want to freak out people more than necessary." (I)

"So you think introducing Soraja to this world won't freak anyone out?" (C)

Said like this it might sound a bit naive.

That goddess isn't necessarily a character that won't cause waves.

Anyway, we have plans to attend to.

"You wanted to try something." (I)

"Oh, right! Wait a moment! I need to focus!" (C)

She's saying so while reaching out with her left arm and placing the fingers of the other hand against her temples as if to quell a headache.

"Are you right now making a show out of it?" (I)

"Maybe? But I seriously need to concentrate a bit." (C)

So she once again sits down and a moment later her lifeforce flares up.

Just like before, the energy in front of her forms into this golden disk, but this time it's even more intense.

Then I start to feel something as well.

It's a bit of a poking sensation from inside me, slightly similar to how Zika clawed herself out the other day.

This must be Chiaki's attempt to create a portal from within my realm.

It's still mine, so I basically have a say on the matter and can tell what's happening to it.

Naturally, I let it happen.

While it feels slightly wrong, kinda invasive to me, we already agreed on this course of action.

What comes into existence is a bit as if I'd let a foreign object protrude out of me.

Some kind of funnel or straw.

Nonetheless, I quell all the instincts that tell me to remove the origin of this feeling, as this source is Chiaki.

The shining discs that Chiaki created rotate wilder and wilder, extending out of the 3D realm into a fourth that marks the difference between local position and dimensional transfer.

Thus the straw starts to suck, and I experience a distinct feeling of something intangible being pushed through the channel.

Similar to liquid, patterns of energy get transported through the rift in dimensions.

Golden, shining energy that feels slightly wrong to me.

However, I still tell myself to ignore it, to avoid hostile counterreactions.

The discs shine brighter and brighter, the light hardens, and an ephemeral figure passes into my realm.

Soraja, the golden goddess of prosperity just stepped into a world that is the very opposite of hers.

Her look turning instantly into that of someone who just got doused in sewage.

Cringing in a mix of uncomfortableness and agony.

While this happens, I feel within me how something that reminds me of stomach acid tries to dissolve a light.

It's not a conscious act, but simply the reaction stomach acid causes.

Then Chiaki abruptly rushes past me.

"Wait, wait! I need to connect!" (C)

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She jumps to Soraja and slaps her hand on her ample bosom.

From the point it touches a string connects those two now.

The goddess in question spends some moments taking in the environment.

"So... Uh, this is it. My place, so to speak. Not sure. Get yourself comfortable?" (I)

"I can't believe it. This world is so... raw. Did you apply any concept to it at all?" (So)

"Yes? I mean, it has gravity, isn't instant death upon entering, you can see stuff... Damn, I never claimed to be good at this creation business!" (I)

"That's obvious. It seems everything that's holding this place together is your active imagination. Unbelievable!" (So)

"I think it's nice! Look, we got a river, a forest, Iori, we really need to show her the spa!" (C)

I'm rather sure she wouldn't appreciate the tentacle maids.

"Let's put aside that there are issues. Do you think we could make anything work here? Look, I even cultivated rice from our world! That's positive, right?" (I)

"May I assume that you just brought them from some field and started growing them in repeat?" (So)

"Is that an issue?" (I)

"Unbelievable. Do you have any idea about the fallacies of monocultures? That a lack of diversity in the genome could cause an abundance of failures down the line?" (So)

Why does this ancient deity suddenly turn into a biology professor?!

"Okay, okay. Before everything's going to fail solely because of this, I'll find more wild rice for you. But what about the rest?" (I)

"It's disgusting. Every little partition, down to the smallest elements, is corrupted by your essence. There's nothing original or pure to find. All this congregating into a patchwork job that somehow in your mind accounts for a world. I expected a degree of severity, but this kind of original entropy is still difficult to process. It's so far beyond my comprehension that sapient beings actually exist here." (So)

"Does this mean you can't endure being here?" (C)

Well, it was a nice idea.

At least we tried.

"I didn't say so." (So)

WTF!?!

"Didn't you just complain about how terrible it is here?" (I)

"It obviously is. Seriously, this place is intolerable. Just by thinking about the poor creatures you condemned to dwell in this realm, I only feel pity. Which is all the more of a reason to be to these lost souls, a guiding light." (So)

Well, sure.

Whatever floats your boat.

"Yes! I knew this was a great idea! Just wait till you meet The People!" (C)

"Chiaki, I hope you remember that you died heroically while pushing back evil. Meaning, you can't show up in front of them." (I)

"Awh. Well, then we need to find some kind of tweak to this!" (C)

"First, we should discuss how to establish Soraja in this world." (I)

"May I say something on this matter?" (So)

She says this in a way that is less of an actual question and more of a way to voice her displeasure about the fact that she was ignored.

"Sure, do so! After all, you're our expert on this!" (C)

"Sigh, you again. As a start, a blessing or a demonstration of power is due. Worship requires either awe, gratefulness, dependency, or fear. As my nature isn't compatible with harming creatures, this rules out fear. Dependency is good for establishing a working long-time relationship, which is what we should be working for, yet it's illusory to believe that strangers would just turn dependent on you. So for the start, we have awe and gratitude to begin. Both of these are fickle things. Awe stops the moment they fail to recall your greatest acts and gratitude just as quickly. Even quicker if you act differently from how they want you to or the next problem comes up and you can't solve it for them. Nonetheless, there's no other way to establish a starting position. The issue is, I'm currently rather limited in what I can do. Especially, in this realm." (So)

"Uh, what about reaping someone else's accomplishments? While we're at, why not something permanent?" (I)

"You seem to already have something in mind." (So)

"You know, I could just create something. Maybe a statue of you, or some kind of natural wonder. Or fields. Any kind of landmark. Then you come, say it was your doing, and they'll probably believe it. I mean, you're looking plenty goddess-like. Wouldn't be a far stretch to connect you to something grand happening." (I)

"That sounds great! And I could see you again in action, Iori!" (C)

"You make taking credit in someone else's stead sound like an even remotely good idea." (So)

"Well, you still need their faith to get started, right? It doesn't sound bad to swindle a bit if it helps everyone in the long run." (C)

"Sigh, this is just like you." (So)

She doesn't seem completely convinced by Chiaki's non-logic.

"Why not see it like this? If you think my influence is so bad, there's no place where you could do more than here." (I)

"This is actually a valid point. The heavens know this place needs some structure." (So)

"Then I have just the idea where to get started!" (C)

"What do you mean? You want to decide on the first project?" (I)

"This one makes just sense! It's the only option!" (C)

"Stop riding the suspense. What do you want?" (I)

"Well, we shouldn't be seen, which means we need cover. For this reason, ahem, we'll start with our base of operations!!!" (C)

The base of operations for a religion?

That means...

"You want me to build a temple?!" (I)

"Pretty please!" (C)

Sigh, if I just wouldn't be so weak to outer influence.

"Well, okay, but no action moves this time." (I)