Ebonheim woke up the next morning, refreshed and calm, her mind quiet and at peace. She prepared herself a breakfast of fruit and nuts and sat on her bed as she ate, her thoughts turning to the events of the day before. As she had expected, the villagers had been eager to celebrate her ascension; they had been so eager that she had barely slept from all the hugs and pats on her head.
Her expression turned sombre as she recalled the prompt that had popped up after her ascension. She had read the prompt so many times in the night that her eyes had grown sore from staring at the screen; now that she had a moment to think, she was more curious than ever about its contents. What was this Celestial Auction that the Akashic System had mentioned, and why had she been invited? It had been clear that the other gods had been invited too—were they there to trade as well? If so, what would they trade and how much would they sell for?
As she finished her breakfast, Ebonheim stood up and began to pace, her mind whirling with thoughts and questions. As she paced, she realized that she had been so preoccupied with the Auction that she had forgotten to check her status screen. She reached out with her mind to the Akashic System, calling forth a prompt that materialized in front of her:
[Name: Ebonheim]
[Divinity Type: Terrestrial God (Artificial)]
[Divine Rank: Lesser God - Ascendant Stage]
[Quintessence: 30/16000]
[Health: 285/285]
[Essence: 285/285]
[Attributes: Intelligence 17; Perception 23; Resilience 21; Strength 12; Agility 26; Endurance 17; Charisma 28; Manipulation 10; Wits 14]
[Combat Stats: Divine Attack 19; Divine Defense 22; Melee Physical Attack 19; Ranged Physical Attack 21; Physical Defense 21; Block 24; Evasion 24]
[Innate Abilities: Manifestation (Rank II), Demanifestation (Rank II), Divine Sight (Rank III), Domain Administration (Rank II), Domain Knowledge (Rank II)]
[Active Abilities: Ailment Cleansing Pulse (Rank II), Vines of the Bramble King (Rank II), Divine Cantrip, Element-Resisting Aura, Fecundity of Creation, Pest-Repelling Prana, Verdant Craftmanship (Rank II), Enchanted Essence Bolt (Rank III), Forest’s Call (Rank II), Tempest of the Grove (Rank II), Blazing Essence Bolt (Rank II), Arboreal Stride (Rank II), Path of the Earthen Passage (Rank II), Charm Animals (Rank II), Divine Aura (Rank I)]
[Passive Bonuses: Forest stride, +50% Health, +50% Essence]
[Skills: Athletics - Intermediate Rank, Craft: Bow - Intermediate Rank, Melee Proficiency: Sword - Intermediate Rank, Ranged Proficiency: Bow - Intermediate Rank, Stealth - Apprentice Rank, Socialize - Intermediate Rank, Survival - Intermediate Rank, Investigation - Intermediate Rank, Bureaucracy - Apprentice Rank]
Ebonheim crossed her arms over her chest as she read through the prompt, her gaze lingering on her attributes and skills. It was comforting to see her progress in some ways; she had already grown a lot in just eight months, but at the same time, she had barely scratched the surface of what she could do.
Another prompt materialized, distracting her from her train of thought.
[32 Attribute Points need allocation]
"Ah, I almost forgot about this," she murmured aloud. "Hmm." She pursed her lips as she considered her options, wondering where to allocate her points. Considering that the average human had an attribute of 16 and a maximum potential of 32, her own stats didn't seem so impressive. Should she focus on increasing her physical stats to gain an advantage in combat? Should she keep her stats balanced so as to avoid having any weaknesses?
She frowned. If she had to choose between physical and mental stats, she would go with mental stats because she needed to grow more powerful, both for her own sake and for the sake of the village. But she also didn't want to neglect the physical part of herself; after all, she wanted to be able to fight as well as Thorsten, Bjorn, Lira, and Hilda—in fact, she wanted to be even stronger so that they wouldn't even need to fight.
Ebonheim sighed as she paced back and forth, chewing on her lower lip as she mulled over her options. Eventually, she stopped in her tracks and made up her mind.
[You've allocated 32 Attribute Points]
[Attributes: Intelligence 17 -> 22; Perception 23 -> 26; Resilience 21 -> 24; Strength 12 -> 16; Agility 26 -> 32; Endurance 17 -> 21; Charisma 28 -> 32; Manipulation 10; Wits 14 -> 16]
[Your combat stats have been adjusted accordingly]
[Combat Stats: Divine Attack 19 -> 23; Divine Defense 22 -> 25; Melee Physical Attack 19 -> 24; Ranged Physical Attack 21 -> 29; Physical Defense 21 -> 26; Block 24 -> 29; Evasion 24 -> 29]
[Health: 285 -> 337]
[Essence: 285 -> 345]
"Right," Ebonheim said to herself, satisfied with her choices. "That should be enough."
With that settled, she left her hut and went to the training grounds to practice her swordsmanship, humming cheerfully to herself as she strolled along the dirt path. She found the others sparring with each other as they had done since day one; she greeted them cheerfully as she entered the practice grounds.
"Good morning!" she called out, waving to them. They paused to wave back before resuming their spar. Thorsten tossed his practice sword to the side and walked over to her. Ebonheim greeted him with a smile, then took a few steps back so she could watch their practice session.
After a moment, Thorsten called out to her. "Oi, lass, want to spar?"
Ebonheim tilted her head. "Against you?" she asked dubiously, raising an eyebrow at him. "Wouldn't I lose?"
Thorsten gave her an exasperated look. "We've been over this before, lass—it's not whether or not ye'd lose." He frowned at her for a moment before his features softened into a warm smile. "Besides, I want to see how much stronger you got after your ascension."
Ebonheim beamed at him and nodded. "Then yes, please." She found a makeshift sword and shield in the corner and picked them up, then stood facing him as he picked up his own sword and shield.
They eyed each other warily for a moment before beginning to circle each other slowly, keeping their distance from the other's blades. As she circled him, Ebonheim kept her attention fixed on his every move, memorizing his stance, his breathing pattern, his footwork—anything that could give away his intention to attack.
When they got close enough to each other that their swords crossed each other's path, they struck simultaneously, their blades meeting with a sharp clash. Ebonheim leaped back and retreated a few steps, raising her shield to protect her face from his heavy downward strike. As she recovered, she shifted her grip on her sword and brought it down on his shoulder before he could recover from his own strike.
Thorsten grunted, the force of the blow throwing him off-balance; Ebonheim grinned in triumph as she lunged towards him to press her attack. Thorsten recovered and sidestepped her swing, striking her in the ribs with the edge of his blade; Ebonheim stumbled back, but kept her feet firmly on the ground as she raised her shield to block the next blow. They continued their fight like that, exchanging blows and feints, their swords clashing against each other as they danced across the dirt.
As they fought, Ebonheim was pleased to find that she was holding her own better than their first spar; she was still losing overall, but she had improved significantly—she had learned to block Thorsten's attacks better, and even managed to parry a few of his strikes. As they fought, Thorsten started to grin as he began to perceive a change in her fighting style: instead of blocking every blow he made, she started to attack as well, taking advantage of the openings in his defense to try to get in a strike or two. Still, she had yet to land a decisive blow on him.
Thorsten brought his sword up and gestured to her with his shield. "All right, lass," he said with a grin. "That was a good round." He walked over to Ebonheim and patted her shoulder affectionately; Ebonheim leaned against him as she rested for a moment, panting heavily as she caught her breath. "You're getting better," he said with a laugh. "Must be all that practice."
Ebonheim laughed and swatted his arm lightly as she caught her breath. "I just ascended and I can't even beat you in a fight yet?" she protested, raising an eyebrow at him in mock outrage. "How embarrassing."
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Thorsten chuckled and shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know how gods progress in their power, but most of us take years to reach your level of skill in swordsmanship." He paused for a moment to adjust his grip on his sword and shield. "Besides, you didn't use any of your divine powers, so expecting to win against me with pure mortal skill is..." he trailed off with a chuckle and shook his head. "I'm afraid you have a long way to go."
Ebonheim's shoulders slumped. "Fair enough. Maybe after my next ascension, I'll be able to beat you with just skill." She shot him a sidelong glance. "So, what now?"
Thorsten gave her a mischievous grin. "Well, if you're ready, we could go another round. Only way to improve your skill is through repetition." Ebonheim rolled her eyes and let out an exaggerated groan, earning a bark of laughter from Thorsten; they both laughed as they returned to the practice grounds to begin again.
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As she rested after the sparring session, Ebonheim contemplated her recent ascension as well as the upcoming Celestial Auction. In the last eight months, she had learned so much—not only from the villagers, but also from the Akashic System—and she was eager to take part in the auction. Of course, she would also need to consider the risks: if other gods wanted to participate too, then there was a chance she might end up having to fight them for the items they wanted to buy, but she figured she would just have to make peace with the possibility.
Then again, what items did she want to buy for herself? Would the auction even have the kind of items she wanted to buy? What kind of currency did they use? She sighed, annoyed with herself for getting so distracted by her thoughts. If she wasn't careful, she would be late to meet the elders at the feast hall for lunch. She cleaned up her practice equipment and put them in the corner of the grounds, then hurried to the feast hall as quickly as she could.
When she arrived, she found everyone seated around the feast hall porch, and Bogdan was busy serving them plates of food. As she sat down next to Hilda, she was greeted by the delicious aroma of warm poultry, crispy fried potatoes, and fresh, green vegetables.
"Good timing," Bogdan said with a smile as he set down a plate in front of her. "Just in time for lunch." As Ebonheim thanked him and started eating, he settled in the chair beside her and rested his hands on his belly as he gazed at the village below with a smile. "It's such a nice day."
Hilda nodded in agreement as she sipped her tea. "It is." She glanced at Ebonheim and inclined her head to her. "How are you?"
Ebonheim shrugged and gave a small, sheepish smile. "I'm good—just got done training with Thorsten." As she spoke, she cut up the chicken on her plate with her knife and fork; when she noticed the elders staring at her with expectant expressions, she stopped and looked up at them, giving them an amused smile. "I still couldn't win."
Sven snorted and took another bite of his food. "Told you."
Bogdan shot him a look, but said nothing, instead turning to Ebonheim. "Well, you're making good progress." He nodded at her as if to reassure himself, then continued in a cheerful voice. "Now, enough talk of fighting—let's enjoy our lunch."
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A few weeks passed in a blur; as usual, Ebonheim spent most of her days performing her daily quests and learning from Engin. After their morning lessons, she would join the villagers in their tasks: caring for the animals, doing laundry, cooking, tending to the crops, and so on. By the time she had finished all that, it was late in the evening. Most days, she would join the elders for dinner before returning to her hut to sleep.
Her quintessence had steadily accumulated since her ascension and the promise of the upcoming Celestial Auction loomed over her every waking thought. Today was no different; after spending all day on her assigned quests, Ebonheim returned to her hut to rest up for the day to come.
[The next Celestial Auction which will occur in 23 hours]
Ebonheim smiled as she read the prompt. Soon, she would be able to participate in the Celstial Auction; she couldn't wait to see what was available for trade and what would be sold. But more than that, the thought of meeting other deities excited her; she had only heard stories about them from Engin and Hilda and she was eager to learn more. She wondered what they would be like—what kind of abilities would they have? Would they be friendly or hostile? How would they act around each other? She imagined herself in a large room filled with gods and goddesses; each one unique, their faces unfamiliar yet captivating.
With that delightful thought in mind, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
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When the Akashic System chimed an alert, Ebonheim jerked awake. She groaned and rubbed her eyes with her palms, then opened them again as she blinked at the bright light in the room. As she struggled to get her bearings, she blinked at the prompt that had popped up in front of her:
[The Celestial Auction begins in 15 hours]
"Right." Ebonheim nodded to herself as she sat up and yawned, stretching her limbs as she swung her legs over the side of her bed. "Not long now." She smiled to herself as she walked to the door of her hut and stepped out into the bright morning sun. This was going to be an exciting day—she just knew it.
She spent the day performing her daily quests like usual, and then went to see Engin in his house after sundown. When she arrived, he was bent over a table covered in plants and tools; he looked up when she knocked on his door, giving her a welcoming smile. "Ebonheim." He beckoned her inside. "Come in."
Ebonheim slipped through the doorway and closed the door behind her, then leaned against the wall to watch as Engin sorted through the plants on his table. As he picked up each plant to inspect its leaves and roots, he muttered under his breath as if talking to himself, then placed them back on the table one by one as he grunted in disapproval.
Ebonheim gave him a puzzled look. "What are you doing?"
Engin huffed and tapped his finger on the table in front of him. "I'm trying to decide what to grow this year," he said. He gave her a sheepish look. "Usually, I rely on Hilda's advice to help me decide on what to do with my time, but she's been away with Lira lately." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking pensive as he stared at the plants on his table. "She has a good eye for these things. But anyways, what brought you over?"
Ebonheim explained to him about the Celestial Auction and how she was excited to participate in it. Engin's eyes lit up with interest as she spoke, and by the end of her explanation, he was eagerly nodding in agreement with her.
"Yes, yes—that sounds like a grand opportunity." He stood up and started walking around the room, the way he did when he was in deep thought. "You should definitely attend, especially with your prospects." As he walked, he gestured with his hands as he explained what he thought she should do. "When you get there, you need to stand out, you need to make your presence known; you don't want to just blend in with the other gods and goddesses." He came to a halt, turned to face Ebonheim, and gave her a serious look. "If you want to earn their respect and consideration, you have to stand out from the pack."
She blinked at him for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. "You sound like you're talking about a battle," she said dryly. Engin nodded in agreement, his expression still serious. Ebonheim arched an eyebrow at him, then burst out laughing, shaking her head as she covered her face with her hands. "Okay, okay." She wiped her eyes and smiled at him as he came to stand in front of her again. "So how do I do that?"
Engin hummed thoughtfully as he stroked his beard. "That is something I can't answer." He shook his head. "You will need to figure that out for yourself." He smiled at her and gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Just do what feels right."
Ebonheim nodded slowly. "Right." She flashed him a smile to show she had taken his advice to heart, then stood up. "Okay, I should get going now. Thank you." As she made her way to the door, Engin called out to her:
"Ebonheim." When she turned around to face him again, he gave her a wink and said, "Good luck." Ebonheim smiled at him and ducked out the door; she waved goodbye to him as she made her way back to her hut for the night.
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Underneath the cerulean sky, Ebonheim stood in front of her hut and waited for the Akashic System to announce the time for the Celestial Auction to begin.
The Akashic System shimmered in front of her, its glowing runes displaying a single phrase:
[The portal to the Sanctum of the Divine Mandala is ready]
Ebonheim stepped back and eyed the empty air in front of her hut.
A swirling, shimmering gateway that looked like a watercolor painting in motion appeared before her; its edges fuzzed as it rotated slowly in a circle, casting the air around it with a faint white glow. As she approached, the gate widened as if welcoming her through its threshold.
The air shimmered with a spectral iridescence as Ebonheim stepped into the portal, the ether around her prickling her skin with ethereal static. With a final look towards her village and a small sigh, she stepped through the threshold and into the unknown.
There was a moment of weightlessness, like being submerged in a timeless ocean, followed by a gentle thud as her feet found purchase on the ground once more. She had arrived.
The Sanctum of the Divine Mandala, the sanctuary of deities, unfolded before her in all its resplendent glory. Its atmosphere shimmered with an iridescent light, reflecting off the surreal architecture of the Sanctum. A complex weave of floating islands, interspersed with shimmering waterfalls that fell into the infinity below, and above, structures of luminescent crystal stood proudly, resembling a city nested amongst the clouds. Pillars that shimmered with galaxies in perpetual motion ascended towards a ceiling that mirrored the night sky itself, complete with constellations that sparkled in patterns unknown to her.
Around her, the air vibrated with a hum, a melodious sound that resonated through her like a tuning fork struck against glass; the air seemed to caress her skin as she stood on its precipice. Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to take in all the sights before her—she had never been to a place so wondrous before; the only word she could think of to describe it was sacred.
She found herself standing on a pathway of glowing quartz that curved along a winding path. As she stepped onto the path, it hummed beneath her feet as if welcoming her into its embrace; its gentle thrum reverberated through her body, lulling her into a daze. Without realizing it, she began to stroll along the path, as if pulled along by a tide; as she did so, she noticed more pathways branching off in other directions—she could only guess what wonders awaited her down each one.
Slowly, she began her journey down the pathway. She walked with purpose but without haste, taking in the sights of the Sanctum with an unwavering gaze. As she did so, she found herself remembering Engin's words from earlier: you need to make your presence known, you don't want to just blend in with the other gods and goddesses. Be daring and bold; they will respect that.
"Right." She straightened up and stepped forward, keeping her gait as regal as possible as she strode down the path. "Daring and bold."