“Wahahahaha! You said that, knowing what my status is, right?”
Their innocent laugh vibrates through the air, shakes the ground, and reverberates through everyone's chest.
Even a simple gesture is enough to prove their divinity, even through their earthly and rustic form, even through their obscured identity, known only through a few.
That divinity, shaking through the core of everybody is, without question, the mark of a well-esteemed god, acknowledged by all who look up to them.
And within that divinity, there is immense pride.
[HP: ∞ /∞
MP: 100/100
STR: 100
AGL:100
END:100
DEX:100
INT:100
]
Some said god only shows themselves through imagery and vision, for that is enough to prove their miracle.
Some said, even a symbol is enough, for the one that truly understands the meaning behind it will kneel and genuflect before their greatness.
Within the status panel that they show to every single person all at once, there is only a simple change in the parameter, from what everyone used to know.
But, within that simple change, show everything they need to know. And as such, every reason to be shocked as what she declared.
“I am the god of dummies, punching bags, scarecrows, and substitution dolls, among many other, sufferful beings…"
"I am the god who takes the punch of every single subject in my domain, and turns it into rewards for others. I am the one who absorbs the ceaseless pain and suffering endured upon oneself, and convert it into meaning."
“I bless all within my domain from all place, from all space, from all time. From all the infinite pain endure by countless dummies, back toward my singular immaculate self.”
“And so, as the matter of course, infinity is contained within my divine vessel.”
(T-That explains all of those dummies…)
A certain type of dummy that everybody has seen suddenly ran through everyone's mind.
Sometimes, found within the garden of a random inn, or on the side of a random crossroad, or placed just before the gate of a random dungeon, there is a random dummy that stands inconspicuously among the elements.
They can't be broken, they always stay in shape, and no matter how much damage you dealt toward them, they will stay as they use to be, unmoving and uncaring. As such, every player use them to test out their moves and combos before unleashing them onto an actual enemy, and they became famous as a fixture of features every player should know about, even way back in the early day when players just simply treat this as a simple game.
Even as time goes on, and Isekai Online is treated more and more like a proper (another) world, not much is known about those dummies, as no one really care enough about them, thinking that it’s simply one of the “gamey” features the dev put in for the players themselves to enjoy.
It’s not until a certain player made their dedication to exploring every single indestructible dummy in the known landscape of the world back then, and accidentally made contact with the Dummy God, did the player made the connection between those “game-like” dummies with the lore of the world itself.
And even then, no one even bothered to question the indestructible nature of those dummies themselves, as those dummies become too familiar for most of them.
No one does, until now.
“Oh? Look like everyone is thinking about all of my avatars I have laid around the land itself.”
“Well, don’t be too ashamed. To blend in, and silently taking and learning about all you “Players” without your notice, is their job.”
With their simple words, they turn their perceptions upside down.
What used to be speculative theory made by the most lore-headed of players, now becomes a simple fact. In turn, what used to be just a simple dummy that's "merely" indestructible, now turns into the unbreakable body of the god in its full glory.
With a simple utterance, mysticism, mystery, history, and divinity, are breathed unto all the seemingly-ordinary fixtures of life, into the very miracle of existence itself.
Yet, the Dummy God cares naught of it all, even as all their wide-open eyes turn into silent awe, and a little bit of reverence.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Instead, with a constant smile, their beady eyes concentrate more and more on the girl right in front of them, standing undaunted so far, and only more excited up with their every word.
Seeing them firing up with excitement and determination, they feel themselves filled with excitement, as well.
For a god, even someone rustic and humble like them, like to be respected and revered.
As such, meeting up the expectation of the little one right at the front, they continue on, as a matter of course.
“To be able to receive endless pain, to feel endless impact and damage, and to be able to receive and respond to endless suffering, comprehend and understand them all, and turn it into compensation...I made my vessel into a form which can withstand everything, no matter how great, no matter how terrible.”
“From earthly mud and simple straw, from plain cloth and spare wood, this body will lay undaunted, unmoved, and unharmed, from the start to the end of time. Even if the pain of all existence were to lay upon me right this moment, this body will gladly take it all, tame it all, comfort to it all, and convert it into all meaning in the world.”
“What it means, simply, is that this body is the very symbol of eternity and indestructibility itself...And you, with absolute confidence in your ability, want to challenge it?"
The Dummy God then simply wait for her word, their straw heart held still, observance and expectance.
“Well, yes. Of course I am.”
Her word remained undaunted, like it was from the very start. Her eyes still spark that everlasting flame, as they expected.
Their power and fighting spirit raise only higher and higher with every second and every moment, just as how they hoped it would be.
Finally meeting someone who can match their boundless expectation, their heart can only grow aflutter, barely containing the excitement within their chest.
“Mhmmmm~~!”
Leaping in the air and spinning into a mini tornado, they whipped up everything in the area, showering themselves into a confetti of leaf and dust, before landing on the ground again.
With their bead shining as brightly as ever, the Dummy God speaks back in boundless excitement.
“Good, good, good! I have always waited for someone to take up this challenge, but no one has actually does, until now! From my conception and awareness as a God, you're the only one in the whole wide universe to actively want to do so!"
“Such excitement, such jubilation, such anticipation! What shall be the case, when my clothes body is torn asunder, when my straw heart is pierce, when this implacable vessel is broken!”
“All I know, and what I can assure you with absolute certainty, is that great reward will be given to you once such deeds are done! I swear on my true word."
"Mhm! I do expect a certain kind of reward, when I want to do this.”
[Self-made Quest: Breaking the Unbreakable Dummy God (Rank █ ). Generated]
[Breaking the Unbreakable Dummy God
Rank: █
Description: You have challenged the dummy god, and vow to perform a task that has never been done before! Unthinkable rewards await those who perform the impossible.
Condition: Breaking the Dummy God (0/1)
Reward: ███
]
[You have created a self-made Rank █ on your own. You have earned the title [████] ]
[!!! You’re the first person to create a Rank █ quest. There is no suitable title, for the result is incomplete.]
[Title will be generated after you completed the quest, whether you succeed or fail.]
[We’re hoping for your understanding.]
(...Perfect. The rank of the quest and the notification is weird, but it’s within expectation.)
Clenching her fist in delight, she quickly steals a glance at her group, before returning back.
Noticing it, the Dummy God converses with her, floating around her eyes level in wondering.
“? Is it to your expectation, I wonder?”
“Mm, even the ranking of the quest is within my guess.”
“Mmm...Wonderful then! Still, for it to be such a rank...I know who I am, but at best Laplace would have judged it to be Incalculable…”
“Ah, that’s probably because I am level 1.”
“...You are?--Oh yeah, you are! I almost forgot, looking at your inexhaustible battle aura!”
(((Yeah, same.)))
A common thought flashed through everyone's mind at that moment, briefly empathizing with a certain Dummy God that's cutely putting their hands on her head and sticking out their tongue.
For that one moment, everyone’s thought is united as one (aside from Marigold’s group).
"Oh yeah, so it makes sense while your rank is so weird...Normally, a level 1 wouldn't be able to do something like this no matter how hard they try, so it would have been considered to be Impossible...Ah." Pondering around some more, the Dummy God noticed something, before stealing a glance at her group.
More specifically, it's at Roadside Rose, who continued watching the whole thing calmly and undisturbed, even among the chaotic chattering of the crowd that only keep getting noisier.
"Ah, I see!" Placing their hand into their palm, they answered their own question "So that title is what you’re aiming for.”
“Mm! I didn’t know that you also knew about it though?” Marigold asked in surprised
"Well, the dummies did see the whole thing happen, so of course I know it as well." Dummy God spoke of it as a matter of fact, as they glanced at the black dummy watching while standing still. "Plus, well…"
The Dummy God then silently jumps behind her ears, whispering something only she can hear.
(...It’s a massive spoiler, but secretly I am a super duper important god, so I am privy to that title from the start.)
(Ah, it's as I expected. Don't worry, I won't spoil it for everyone (aside from Rose and Dragon))
(Nice! Not that I minded much, but it’s decades too early for players to hear about my content…)
Finishing the impromptu secret talk that's only known between the two of them (and her group later on), Dummy God return back to their spot, and continued on.
“Well, now that you accepted the quest, I will leave you to your own device. It would be expected that you’re going to need a lot of preparation and growth to perform this arduous task, so-”
“Oh, I can do it right now.”
“...Right now you said? Great! Almost forgot you’re a bold one...If so, then wait a teeny tiny bit, I need to prepare myself.”
With that, the Dummy God quickly hopped away toward the dancing dummies group of before, talking and dancing together about something, before working on something…
----------------------------------------
Before, when Marigold was glancing at her group, she was specifically looking at Rose, confirming her guess…
Then after that, she was looking at Dragon directly in her eyes, with a knowing look.
“So look like Marigold is keeping her end of the deal huh, Dragon?”
“Kyu (Yep)”
“...So I will also be expecting you to keep your end of the deal right, Dragon?”
“Kyu...(...Yep)”
"That's nice to hear, Dragon. I will fully be expecting you to keep your word."
“Kyu (You don’t have to speak it twice...It would be so lame, though)”
With a slightly defeated look from Dragon, both of them reminisced about what happened a few nights before...