The moment I reappear from my Level 15 Awakening Quest, I walk to the edge of the dry river and take a seat with my back against the clay-filled soil making up the sides of the area. There aren't as many stones on the ground here as there are in other sections of the river, something my bare ass thanks me for.

Even though I'm fifteen for fifteen on Awakening Quests taking place here in the Mythic Forest, I'm still being cautious of my things just in case there's a sudden change in that. That means stripping naked, and I'm a bit tired right now and want to rest before dressing.

At least I'm somewhere clothes are optional.

As I ate breakfast this morning, I decided against going to the lake and simply drowning all of the monsters in the river. I'll go with what the King of the Celestials asked and handle the river to give him more time to work on the tangled energy flows in the zones I've already unlocked. It's also guaranteed easier EXP, which will probably save me effort in the long run as well.

On top of that, yesterday's trip to the Starry Pleasure Zone reminded me that uncleared areas I'm not in by Special Quests but by pushing access into has that fog filling it. It'll be too uncomfortable to go into a zone as big as the hills in the vision with the fog in place unless I weave together a spell similar to the lightning-touched barrier. The chance of something attacking me during that could be high as well.

So overall, it's better for me to wait.

Even if it means more work for me. In the three-ish hours I've been here today, I've gained 3 Levels and cleared about eight miles of the river, give or take a thousand yards. With how many turns it has, the distance itself is also longer than what I'd initially estimated. The hills with the lakes are at the very edge of the Mythic Forest, roughly forty miles from the center. My estimation was that the river goes all the way to the river, so it'd be a little less than forty miles in length.

Except I didn't factor in curves or know that monster frequency would increase the further I go.

Pushing myself is the only way I can finish this in a reasonable amount of time. With how strong I am now, I could just run through the river and punch the monsters to death, but that's even more effort than walking and casting spells.

It's nearly time for lunch, so I think I'll meet up with Ryan for that, then take a nap after. Since my morning work is done, I call up my Status to check my new stats.

Name: Evan Rethe Rank: 5 Species: Human Sex: Male Level: 15 EXP: 0/422,580 HP: 46,500/46,500 MP: 46,500/46,500 Strength: 433 Constitution: 562 Agility: 433 Dexterity: 1,075 Magic: 3,118 Mind: 1,395 HP Regen: 5% MP Regen: 5%

This is more than enough for me to one-shot any monster I've encountered in the Mythic Forest so far. I'm starting to suspect that it's currently stuck as the equivalent of a Category 5-1 Dungeon due to the ambient mana levels here so I'm likely not in danger from anything other than very limited zones with stronger monsters, the ones being used for my Awakening Quests.

Unless… am I actually still in the Mythic Forest for those? Could the System be creating those Dungeons but simulating the Mythic Forest's environment now? That would explain the strength difference between the monsters in them and the monsters here.

Why that might happen, I don't know. That's something to ask the King of the Celestials, if he ever deigns to reveal himself to me.

I close my Status and summon my phone to check the time. Still a few minutes before my alarm goes off, so I set it beside me and close my eyes for a few minutes of rest. Once it's time, I get up and pull on some clothes, including khaki shorts and a light green t-shirt with a grey shirt over, left unbuttoned in my usual style.

When I teleport home and step onto my deck, I find Ryan play wrestling with Aster. I take a seat and watch for a few minutes as my boyfriend plays with the young Celestial rather than interrupt their fun. Aster could easily win if he wanted but he's controlling his strength and speed so that he doesn't hurt Ryan.

He also probably just enjoys chasing after Ryan's arms and hands to play bite and grab.

"Alright, alright, alright!" Ryan laughs. "Time to stop!"

Aster stops and gives him a disappointed look.

"It's lunchtime," Ryan says. "You don't want to make Evan wait longer, do you? He's probably been hard at work restoring your king's garden all morning."

Aster woofs in confirmation, then runs in circles and looks at Ryan expectantly.

"Looks like he wants his food now," Ryan chuckles as he looks at me. "Mind?"

Giving Aster his food doesn't take very long so I'm not sure why he's asking. Courtesy to the host, maybe?

"Go ahead," I tell him. "I'm in no rush."

Ryan pulls out a plate with chunks of meat on it and sets it down, and Aster looks between it and Ryan with an "Is this it?" expression.

"You can get dessert after you eat," Ryan pats the pup's head, then stands so he can sit at the table. "And now for ours."

He pulls out a couple of white paper bags with lunch in it, the two containing meatball subs with cheese this time. The sides today are cut veggies with dip and dried fruit chips.

"Random thought," I say as we eat. "But what's your favorite monster meat?"

"Dragon."

"You've had dragon?" I ask. "Aren't those only in Rank 5-11 Dungeons or higher? Or equivalent areas?"

It's almost unheard of for any Rank 5 to reach that high in Level as there are almost no Dungeons that strong and no areas that dangerous. Even when there are, there just aren't enough Awakened strong enough to handle them.

"Sure," he answers. "The bureau gave me a pound of it a couple of years ago as thanks for helping with something. How they acquired it and had it in-stock, I don't know. It's pretty good, though."

Aster barks an agreement to that while sending me a message.

"He says it was given by a Celestial," I say. "In his exact words as translated to actual words the best I can, 'the second-biggest little brother gave them'."

"The… what?"

"Aster's trying not to say which Celestial," I tell him. "But I'm guessing it's the second-oldest Celestial younger than him."

Aster woofs in confirmation.

"They gave away dragon meat?" Ryan asks, and Aster barks. "Why? Ack! Aster! Don't send me the message! I can't communicate in that manner!"

Aster snickers as he sends me the message.

"He says 'why not?'" I inform Ryan. "To be fair, we don't know much about the Celestials. They have what amounts to unlimited power, so they don't necessarily need a reason to do things."

"Fair enough," Ryan says. "Changing the topic a little, how did your work this morning go? You gained 3 Levels from what I can tell."

"I pushed myself a fair bit," I admit. "Changed plans to just finishing the river. It's basically free EXP now even if it's more work, and it'll ensure I have plenty of power for if stronger things come up. Also, the lakes will probably be filled with fog if I try to go early and I'm not sure I can handle an area that large on my own. That was about eight miles of river I took care of, I think? If I do that this afternoon, and the next couple visits, I'll probably manage to finish the river."

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"The extra stats will help with keeping you unharmed," Ryan tells me. "When you do take on a bigger area."

"Probably," I say. "What kind of beef was used for the meatballs? They're pretty good."

"From flying cattle I encountered in a Dungeon at the end of last year," he answers. "Category 4-3, late into the Dungeon. Same meat Aster's eating, actually."

"Made them yourself?" I ask.

"Yeah," he answers. "The cheese came from the same Dungeon, there were a few vats of fresh milk we looted. I didn't make the cheese, though I was given some once it was ready. So you're planning on heading back into the Mythic Forest for more river work?"

"I'll probably take a nap after lunch," I tell him. "Give me some extra time, and what is it?"

Ryan had that same look as last night, the one which says he wants to ask something but is deciding not to.

"Don't worry about it," he smiles. "It's nothing."

"Ryan?" I raise an eyebrow. "That's twice in a day you've had that look when I say something. You can't expect me to communicate and you not."

"No, seriously," he smiles. "It's nothing, Ev."

I raise my eyebrow again, and he chuckles as he sighs.

"I'm a big snuggler," he says. "I wanted to ask if I could snuggle you for the nap and had to remind myself you don't sleep in that way with someone you're not in a committed relationship with. Same as last night – I wanted to ask about staying over."

That's a lot less serious of a thing than I expected it to be, and it's just him respecting my boundary on that particular matter. Aster seems to find something Ryan said funny as the pup is snickering now.

"Sounds like someone wants normal store-bought jelly for dessert rather than the quality stuff," Ryan mutters and the pup quickly stops his snickering.

I can't help but snort at that as I realize what Aster was snickering about. He sleeps in my bed with me as well.

"That's because you're kind of like a son," I roll my eyes at the pup. "Not something else."

He really does feel like a son to me, too, even if we haven't known each other very long. The pup grew on me quickly and judging by what was going on when I returned home for lunch, he grew quickly on Ryan as well.

Ryan and I switch to talking about his morning, which he spent doing a little bit of training, then training some still-fresh Awakened, then he left the city to pummel a monster out of boredom. After lunch, his plan is to play video games for the rest of the day unless someone wants to hang out.

"Speaking of that," he says. "Video games aren't really something I remember playing in my past lives, and that made me think of something. Nick and I were talking Monday, and he suggested I ask you something."

This sounds serious.

"Go ahead."

"You now know that I'm a god," he says. "And that I'll eventually move on from being a mortal to return to my divine state. Yet you're fine with trying to see if we'll work out in a relationship? The fact that I'm ancient doesn't bother you?"

"Why would it?" I ask. "You're still mentally the age of your current body. As for eventually leaving me… is there a deadline for you to ascend back to godhood?"

"No," he answers. "This body is mortal through and through so I guess technically once it dies."

"So then there's no issue, right?" I ask. "Unless you decide to depart early, of course. There's potential for us to live out my life together."

"That's true," Ryan admits.

"And I do want to correct something," I tell him. "Demigods aren't the only ones I have a romantic attraction to. There are two other guys I've been romantically interested in, but they each turned me down when I asked."

"Really?" He asks. "Non-demigods?"

"Griffin," I say. "From the Starry Iris. He admitted attraction to me, but said we'd have to wait. Considering that he's older than he looks and hasn't aged for awhile, it's sufficient to say that I'm not really bothered by the idea of dating people with longer lifespans."

"Even I wouldn't try to date Griffin," Ryan says. "Though he does give off that same feeling of superiority as you do, like he's something… more. I try to avoid him unless his club is the best place for my current wants. You're right that he's a lot older than he looks. Who's the other?"

"A guy named Ash," I answer. "Not sure if you know him. He has leafy-green hair and lavender eyes."

"Ash," he thinks for a few moments. "Not sure I know him, but I did notice a commonality between those two. They both have purple eyes."

"Some guys are just more attractive than others," I shrug. "Ash is the guy who delivers my groceries, and he hasn't aged a day in the entire time I've known him – and I've known him practically since I was found in the Dungeon."

"He was part of the team?" Ryan asks.

"No," I answer. "He just happened to be near the Gate when it formed and stuck around to see what was inside. Saw them bringing a baby out. Looks about our age, too, so he's probably at least forty even if he's only mentally twenty-ish."

"No wonder you reacted so well to finding out I'm a god," he says. "You've crushed on two unaging guys who you know are older than they seem."

"If their mental age is close to mine, they're not really older, are they?" I ask.

"No, they aren't," he says.

"And I've already been rejected by both of them," I add. "So it doesn't matter. I'm seeing you now."

"Yes, you are," he gives me a happy smile. "I brought brownies for dessert, by the way."

A topic change probably means he was getting uncomfortable talking about my past crushes. I'm glad it's over as well, and we return to eating and making small talk without returning to those topics. Once we finish eating, Ryan pulls me in for a hug and a kiss.

"Let me know if you want some help," he tells me. "I'll just be playing video games, so you won't be interrupting anything important."

"Will do," I kiss him back. "Love you, Ry."

"Love you, Ev."

Ryan leaves, then Aster and I head to the Mythic Forest. I bring us to the Whispering Life Spring, then strip down and lie in the grass using my hands as a pillow. Aster climbs up onto me and curls up on my chest, and I drift off to sleep within moments.

~~~

I stand atop a cliff at the edge of a wide valley with a river cutting through it near the horizon from my vantage point. A village spreads out beside the river, homes and farms keeping within a mile of the water, a forest not far too the north and cropping up on the other side of the river.

Small and cozy it might seem, but a Monster Egg sits only a hundred feet from the sole stone building of the village, pouring out wolves at the moment. My tail swishes a little as I sit on the edge of the cliff, debating if I should put in the effort to fix the energy flows here or just lounge about until my presence mends them. This is a particularly nasty one, it might take a few months if I mend it by my presence alone and that would be a few months of rest.

Hold up. My tail? Am I viewing someone else's memory in this vision? They're not a beast, the part of them which I can see is a person's. Human, like mine, including with a slender build similar to my own. A wolfkin with a tail that's a mix of purples, pinks, and oranges, then.

Before I can move deeper with those thoughts, the dream takes over once more, my thoughts becoming second to those of who I am within the dream.

My older brother would probably just nap here until the energy flows returned to normal, but I'm not as lazy as he. Fixing this is trivial and would take only a few minutes at the mostand would let me go off to do other things sooner. I have only a limited amount of time to do as I please, so wasting it just resting here wouldn't be the best of ideas.

Not that I need to fix this. I only even noticed this Monster Egg and the twisted energy flows by chance. If I hadn't, it might never get mended. This world is in an obscure part of the universe and I know my brother prefers to hang out in his own realm.

When he's not hunting me down because I reincarnated myself for the eight hundred and seventy-eighth time out of boredom. One day, I'll manage to stop my real nature from influencing my reincarnations, too.

Maybe it'll be the eight hundred and seventy-ninth reincarnation where my hair (and tail, if present) doesn't match a Rift Wolf's. It probably won't affect my eyes since that's caused by something else.

Having blue, brown, gold, green, or grey eyes would make hiding among mortals so much easier. It's a shame those are the only eye colors out there… purple wouldn't stand out so much if there was a wider variety of them. Nor would my hair color if there was a wider variety of those.

I'd probably last longer before Noea found me if either of those were the case.

Honestly. If he didn't want me to reincarnate myself, he should just alter the soul cycle to prevent it from recognizing my soul as a valid soul for recycling. He already made it so that souls which don't match the energy frequency of the souls of people can't be processed for reuse so I know he could change it to block mine. It would just bounce out of the system and I'd have to re-form my body.

Though I'd also keep all of my memories, which would suck. Part of the purpose of reincarnating myself is to live among mortals as one for a generation or so. Experience things as they are before my memories begin returning like they did a few months ago.

Since then, I haven't attempted to use any of my real powers, remaining limited by the powers of my mortal body. It's not that I can't, it's just that I haven't really felt like it. This is a case where I do feel like it, and I'm not sure if I should or not.

I suppose there's no harm in fixing up this area, so I tap into my real power and send a small stream of it into the energy flows around me. This little power won't revert me back to my true self like what happens with demigods when they tap into their divine power, so it's fine to fix the flows.

Weaving my power through the energy streams, I purify them of the contaminating energies, removing their blockages. I also jiggle the streams a little, causing them to untangle. In less time than it takes for me to breathe five times, I've fixed the energy flows everywhere within a thousand miles of here.

The wolfkin of the areas within that range can handle the monsters now that they aren't respawning anymore. It might even help them grow stronger.

Perhaps I could grant the area this incarnation is from a blessing so their crops grow better and livestock are more healthy? That would certainly boost their strength for awhile.

No. I shouldn't. I can mend energy flows without reverting to my real self but the moment I do something like grant a blessing? That's too much power and will revert me without a doubt.

I do want to stay like this just a little bit longer. Just until Noea finds me again.