As Mia stepped out of the restaurant, a sense of satisfaction washed over her. She was glad she had helped her brother and brought happiness to his budding relationship. With a spring in her step, she hurried towards Gina's house, where the old woman awaited her arrival along with the promised meat buns. Ever since Gina had assisted Mia with her cultivation issue, they had developed a weekly routine of meeting and exchanging knowledge about the world, not that Mia knew much, it was mostly her hearing Gina talk about the world and the things in it.
Upon reaching Gina's house, Mia entered with a cheerful greeting and apologized for any delay caused by her detour to help her brother. Once inside, they settled on the soft pillows that served as makeshift couches in Gina's living room. The aroma of freshly baked meat buns filled the air, accompanied by a steaming pot of tea placed on the low coffee table between them.
As they enjoyed the savory buns and sipped on their tea, Gina started to talk. “Unlike the other times, today I want to tell you about the gods of our world.”. Mia looked puzzled, her adult soul finally grasping the concept of religion, or rather the lack thereof, in this world. Outwardly, her confusion was evident as she awaited Gina's explanation.
Gina continued. “In ancient times the mana on the world was thin, almost nonexistent. Monsters were nonexistent and the various races were yet to find each other.”
Curious about these races, Mia interrupted Gina's explanation.”Other races? Like, other types of humans? I never heard or read anything about other races.”
Chuckling a little Gina continued. “The world is vast, little girl. Out there in the world there are various other races but the most common are the elves, dwarfs and beast-people. The Elves are much like us, just a little more slender, with long pointy ears, long lifespans and a greater affinity for magic than most people. The dwarfs are a small race of people. They still look like us humans to some extent. They are short, bulk, the males have really long beards that they love to show off. They also are naturally able to mold earth and metal. Lastly are the beast-people. They are as diverse as the animals in the world. They are half-human, half-animals with some looking more human or animal depending on where they live. You will find them on the water, land or sky. There are some other small races here and there but you will probably never interact with them so let's not mention them.”
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Continuing her narrative, Gina shifted the focus to the gods again.”In those ancient times, 6 people of unknown races obtained power not matched even by the most powerful of today's world. Somehow as if by destiny they found each other and ventured to the center of the world. There they found a sealed door and once they opened it, mana began to pour into the world like never before. At that moment they ascended and became higher beings, gods. With their newfound power and understanding they made people around the world build 6 temples to teach and train people on how to survive the new age that was coming. Sadly any history after this was lost with only a few surviving text about the origins of the demons found in the only remaining temple not completely destroyed
“Where demons come from, what are they? I heard people talking about demons but none ever appeared near here.” Mia inquired, confused.
“Demons are beings from another world. They feed on negative emotions and manifest themselves in places with lots of mana and death.” Gina explained in a sombre tone.
Mia's mind raced as she processed the information. Gina's teachings so far had opened her eyes to the magical aspects of everyday life. Mundane objects and creatures she had once taken for granted now held a newfound wonder. Mana seemed to imbue everything, altering and mutating the natural world in subtle yet fascinating ways. The diversity of magical apples, each with its unique effects, and animals instinctively wielding spells in creative manners astounded Mia. And monsters, depicted in various media from her previous life, appeared even more diverse and awe-inspiring. Without her access to knowledge from her previous world, the descriptions of the world's more dangerous creatures would have left Mia trembling in fear.
After a few moments of reflective silence, Mia noticed that darkness was gradually enveloping the sky. She thanked Gina for her enlightening conversation and bid her farewell, heading back home. Gina sat alone, once again surrounded by her pillows, lost in her thoughts. She contemplated her role in teaching Mia, wondering if she was truly doing the right thing. “Mia, I hope you can forgive me for lying to you. I just hope that this old lady's intervention will lead to something positive for once.”