*rustle rustle, bustle bustle*
Strange scenes are always a common thing on the dojo's training ground.
As such, when people see a bunch of living dummies started dancing in unison around a circle, they wouldn't bat an eye. Especially when they have seen these dummies practicing their dance for quite a while now.
There's only so much you can be shocked with when seeing strawed figures actually being EX-ranked artifacts freely frolicking around.
Basically, the only kind of people who would have stood with their jaws dropped to the ground, are foreigners who just come over for a business trip, disguised as tourism made for the foolish third son of a rich family.
“...No matter how much I saw it, I can never get used to it.”
No.1 spoke silently while adjusting her glasses constantly, checking if they have fog on them.
“No.1, is it because of how absurd the scene looks? To be fair, I don't think anyone among us would have avoided being so surprised…" No.2 said to her, while she was watching over the unconscious pile of muscle on the ground along with the rest of them.
“No, I mean I can never get used to how wasteful it is. It’s like I’m watching literal mountains of gold and jewelry practicing square dance…”
“Ah right, you’re our clan’s chief accountant.”
Living in the shadow, the Shadow Dragon clan lives an unusually frugal life, an exception to the dragonkind's greedy and hoarding nature. They live among nature, building houses made of wood and straw, growing their own food, making their own clothes, mining their own mineral for their own weapons…
Some are even willing to live naked in the wood all the time just to avoid spending on clothing and housing, so one could say they're very retentive when it comes to money. Among them, No.1 is the most meticulous of them all, pouring over every single copper the clan makes and spends like a dragon hawk.
It's only thanks to her making every single coin count that the clan could actually make profits and upgrade their facility over the years, as the rest of them is so frugal and simple they simply do not care about having money at all.
“No.1, isn’t it very economical though? After all, Absolute Dragon’s friend made such an extremely high-quality artifact using nothing but stick and straw…”
“Then what the hell is that?”
With visible disgust, No.1 pointed at a particularly ebonic dummy, glistening in the sun a metallic color as it freely wave along.
It bore itself a hardy and invaluable exterior, bearing more similarity to an ancient guardian of a once-prosperous kingdom, than that of a humble punching bag.
[Platonic Orichalcum Dummy
Rank: EX (Growth)
Description: An extremely valuable and extremely tough dummy, destroy and remade again into a continuously perfected form. Proud to be the toughest in the gang, it will bravely come forward to take the greatest hit for its friend, withstanding it within its immovable vessel. Is a proud sword-and-shield Paladin.
(Also, for whom it may concern, its estimated cost is 1,000,000,000 gold)]
“...Yeah, even I have no comment on that, No.1.”
“Right?? Urgh, to see something that cost a hundred times more than our clan’s yearly allowance performing a ballerina...So wasteful, so expensive, the very hubris of the hero kingdom...”
“Careful, No.1. Your fang and claw are showing…”
Trying to console No.1, who is so unbelievably livid that even her dark scale and horn are showing up, No.2 wonders if there is something to distract her before her blood pressure boiled over…
Fortunately, with the dance circle glowing up, she soon found one right in front of their eyes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Look like the ritual is nearly complete, Big Sis.”
“Um, it seems like so.”
The circle glows an earthly color, beneath the stick and straw and the hardest stone, which makes up the dummies feet.
The more they dance, the more the color shines, brighter and brighter. Soon enough the lights rise upward toward the sky, capturing the attention of all the people around, who now can’t ignore it anymore.
From below, the earth rises, forming into shape. From above, the light descend, molding and transforming the shaped earth with life.
From within the circle, a figure emerges. A cloth dummy the size of a human child appears, wearing a doll-like dress.
With eyes of bead, they watch. With hair of string, they flutter. With mouth of fabrics, they open wide.
“Good morning, everybody! Dumi the Dummy God is here!”
And with a cutesy voice, they announce. Their cheerful upbeat voice boomed all over the training ground, capturing attention to their cutesy form.
"Now to meet with the one who summons me here…"
“Here here, Dumi!”
“Ah, nice to meet you!”
Coming over with a tit-ta-tot, they skip over to meet Marigold, staring curiously with their little beady eyes. They glance their eyes from head to toe, moving their head up and down, checking her closely, round and around.
The more they look, the more they smile, and the more their eyes seem to glint with pure sunshine. Finally, they look back straight toward her, eyes-to-button-eyes, their smile the brightest they have ever shown, and their voice all the happier.
"Um! You're definitely the one who has summoned me! I have never seen such ever-compassing love toward us dummykind before, radiate straight from your pure soul to your soft and godly hand!"
“Ehehe, it’s nothing much. They’re just there when I saw them, and not like I help them without expecting anything either…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! I like your honesty, showing your love that’s genuine! Well, a bit of a shame that your love is kinda all-around, but rewards should be given to those who are worth it!
Spinning round-and-round three times, their hand appears a big present, giving gently to her with a touch so soft. Being eager to open it by their expectant crystally eyes, she found herself engulfed in light, as many panels appear in front of her eyes.
[You have completed the EX-ranked quest “Gratitude to the Dummies, Gratitude to the God of Dummies.”]
[Completion rank: EX]
[Gratitude to the Dummies, Gratitude to the Dummy God
Rank:? → EX
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Requirement: Made a dummy with great and proper gratitude toward them
Description: Your gratitude toward the dummies has reached the god! They want to come down and reward you, but you must first prepare the ritual for them. The quality of the ritual decided the quality of their descent.
Condition: Create 20 dummies (20/20) → Create 20 dummies with rank EX or above (20/20)
Reward: Depend on completion rate. ]
[Calculating reward…]
[You have received 100,000,000 EXP!]
[All stats +10*2=+20]
[Your title "Friend with the Dummies" has changed to "True Friend with the Dummies"]
[You have received Dummies-approved Elixir x100]
[You have received Dummies Catalogue]
[You have received Piñata of Endless Crossroad x10]
[You have unlocked VIP privilege for the Dummy Service.]
As Marigold look through all the rewards dropping down from the sky with interested eyes, Dumi said one more thing in a good mood.
"Oh yeah, since you're the first person to be completing this version of the quest and help me descend this fully, you should gain this as well."
[Dumi the Dummy God's familiarity with you has reached 100%]
[You have received the title “God’s fellow"]
[You have received the title “Dummy God’s Benefactor”]
[You have received one unconditional favor from Dumi the Dummy God]
“Now you have received one favor from me, my lovely benefactor. Ask me anything, as long as it’s within my ability to do so.”
Hearing that, the surroundings instantly turn noisy.
Receiving a favor from god, no matter the type, is both a great honor and a great reward. Though it rarely happens, each case has been documented very heavily, and though the result varied, everyone agrees that they will at least get a Myth-modified artifact in return.
Moreover, Dummy God is an obscured god, known personally by only a few people dedicated enough to the path of dummyhood. Even fewer actually meet them in person, and no one has been able to earn a favor from them. As such, no one knows what sort of thing they will give out for the one with such honor.
Though essentially unknown, experts agree that the personal favor's reward from the Dummy God is no less than that of a high god, if not higher, as they earn a surprising level of respect even among the chief god, and have a great span of coverage, including all the dummies in the world.
As such, everyone waited in bated breath, as they looked toward Marigold's request.
“Hm...So I can ask you anything I want?”
“Within my capability, of course!”
Hearing that, her eyes shine again, looking back deeply into the Dummy God’s eyes.
Only this time, rather than shine, it burns.
Her eyes burn bright, like the spirit of a challenger, grasping the opportunity of a lifetime.
“...Then, can I hit you?”
Marigold’s request surprised everybody. Everyone here knows that she can definitely fight for as long as they have eyes, but to see someone so kind and sweet like her actively seek something like this, is still something they haven't gotten used to.
Moreover, it is against a god, so surely-
“...Haha, I knew you aren’t the meek type. You know how to ask for the best favor from me.”
Praising her with all of their heart, the Dummy God surprisingly responded back, with the deepest smile they made today. It’s like a smile a teacher would make when their student made a perfect answer.
While everyone continued to be confused for a little while, Marigold converse back.
“Well, since you’re the God of Dummy, you’re also a Dummy right?”
“Yep, in the cloth and straw, and only the very best! Not that your work isn’t good, but you’re going to need a lot more effort to be like me.”
“Well, not that I want to make myself that noticeable, but you’re completely right!”
“...Is that confidence, I hear? I like it! Wish I can see your best work pretty soon then?”
“Probably not, I’m afraid?”
(((Wait, aren’t you already be eyes-poppingly noticeable already???)))
The thought overlaps across many people, looking at the two talking cheerfully at each other, the Dummy God spin and flutters their dress repeatedly as they move round and round.
“Aw, that's a shame...Well anyway, I am after all the Dummy God, the god for ones who took pain for others to thrive. As one who is willing to turn suffering into growth, it’s to be expected that hitting a training dummy would strengthen the user, and it’s even more expected that hitting me would bring the best result.”
“Indeed, in this case, asking to hit me with all of your might is the bestest thing one could be using my favor for. Since you have already been asking for it, I promise that only the most optimal reward for your body will be given, to the best of my divine form.”
“Now, come at me! Don’t worry about my wellbeing, for we are trained maso-”
“Wait a bit, I haven’t fully said what my request is, my bad.”
“?”
As they spread their body out in the sky, looking very eager to comply, Marigold raise her hand up and interrupt them. At the same time, a silent aura started to emanate from her, quickly filling the atmosphere with a thick haze.
While they tilted their head in wonder, that thick haze assaulted everyone's senses, leaving them with a cold sweat behind their back. They felt as if they were standing in front of a huge and towering mountain, standing over them as if to crush them.
But that isn't what shocked them the most.
“After all, I don't just want to hit you...I want to destroy you.”
“...Hehhh~”
The word she spoke with that same bell-like voice, with sharp and ferocious eyes, emanating huge fighting intent.
To instantly turn from a cute young girl to a powerful warrior, that’s what shocked them the most.
And meanwhile, the Dummy God look over her, with a deep knowing smile.
----------------------------------------
Titles:
[True Friend with the Dummies
Rank: EX
Requirement: Achieving maximum affinity with a [Dummy]-type object, and receiving acknowledgment from the Dummy God
Description: The title reserved for the one true friend with all the dummies in the world. All the dummies you meet will bless you on the way.
Effect:
* Obtain Skill [True Blessing of the Dummy]
* Maxed out familiarity with [Dummy]
* Unlocking familiarity cap with [Dummy]
* Massively increased growth rate when near a [Dummy]-type object, effect scales with rank and number of dummies
* Massively increased status multiplier when near a [Dummy]-type object, effect scales with rank and number of dummies
]
[God's Fellow
Rank: EX
Requirement: Achieving maximum affinity with a God
Description: A title reserved for one who is a dear friend of the god, and of whom consider their equals. To be friends with god is to be close with the divine itself.
Effect:
* All stats +10%
* All stats +10% when near an [Divine] Object
* Increased familiarity with [Divine]-type being
* 100% increase in the effect and acquisition rate of [Divine]-type skill and ability
* The user can learn [Divine]-type skill more easily
]
[Dummy God's Benefactor
Rank: EX
Requirement: Maxing out affinity with [Dummy God]-type object
Description: The unique title reserved for one who is a friend of the god of dummy; the one who receives all pain, and gives all reward. One will always be blessed for their true and honest efforts.
Effect:
* All stats +10%
* All stats +100% when near a [Dummy]-type object.
* All stats +100% when near a [Dummy God]-type object.
* Further amplified the blessing provided by [Dummy]-type object
* Unlocking affinity cap with the Dummy God.
* [Trial of the Dummy God] Daily Quest unlocked.
]
Skill & Abilities:
[True Blessing of the Dummy
Rank: EX
Type: Passive
Description: The deepest form of affection a dummy can give to a person that appreciates them. Every dummy that the person knows will come out to cover for them no matter the reason, and in turn give strength to the user.
Effect:
* Is able to call out any dummy the user registered beforehand to help them. No restriction on the amount.
* Status increase depends on the number and rank of the dummy called out by the user.
* Growth rate increase depends on the number and rank of the dummy called out by the user.
]
Items:
[Dummies-approved Elixir
Rank: EX
Description: Special Elixir made by the specialist Dummy Alchemist and Dummy Potionmaker. You can feel the essence of dummyhood in each of them.
Effect:
* Fully restore the HP and MP of the user
* 100% increase in VIT status
* 100% increase in regeneration effectiveness
* 100% increased growth rate when near a [Dummy]-type object
* 100% increase in Aggro
]
[Dummies Catalogue
Rank: EX
Description: A special catalog detailing all the locations, properties, and benefits of all the dummies in the universe. Will immediately point toward the location of the closest dummy in the area.
]
[Piñata of Endless Crossroad x10
Rank: EX
Description: Pinata which contains untold and mysterious rewards of endless possibility. You will gain immense good luck if you properly follow the law of the dummy.
]
[Dummy Service
Description: A special service run by the Dummy God, in which they will lend out Dummies of all shape and size to anyone that appreciate them, for all sort of dummies-related service. Quality and hospitality guaranteed.
]