The all-night training in swordsmanship was a unique form of torture. Even though I was in a mental state, my mind seemed to fatigue more easily as I repeated the basic sword forms. Verethragna wouldn't let me just go through the motions, if he saw my focus slipping, he'd throw small, golden marble-like projectiles at my forehead to jolt me back to attention. They didn't really hurt, but they were startling, and I found myself on the ground quite a few times. Verethragna claimed it was to keep me on guard, but I'm sure he took pleasure in bonking me in the head. Just before I woke up, he had some final words for me.

"Not bad, little warrior. Your instincts are pretty solid, but that's all you have when it comes to combat skills. However, with us training every night, we'll get there before you know it. I have some 'homework' for you now. The crude golden slash you've performed multiple times is a technique worthy of becoming a staple in your combat style. What it needs now, other than practice and refinement, is a name that holds personal meaning for you. Remember, little warrior, names have power!"

I woke up with a start, startling Sieg who was just about to shake me awake.

"Cold Coals, man! What's with the sudden shock? Did you see that Paparoach in your dreams, I certainly did?" Sieg asked.

"Worse," I replied. "I was trained by Verethragna all night in a sword training montage."

"That's rough," Sieg said sympathetically. "Your deity is no joke."

"You got that right," I said with a sigh.

"Actually, there's one thing you need to stop doing," Sieg warned me.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Stop calling your deity by name," Sieg explained. "I know I was talking about Hephaestus yesterday, but that's because I'm his smith and it's my duty to spread his fame. You, on the other hand, are trying to lay low and build your deity's temple as soon as possible. Talking about the name of the God of Hollow Victory too much will attract the wrong kind of attention."

"Wait, why did you call him the God of Hollow Victory?" I asked, confused.

"Well, that's how he's known in the greater world," Sieg explained. "I don't know the story that well, but he's the god who only partially ascended. As the God of Victory who only partially succeeded, he became known as the God of Half or Hollow Victory. For most people, he's just a cautionary tale and a surprising revelation that something like that is even possible. If he wasn't the newest deity in the Praxima pantheon, he might have faded into obscurity. Fortunately, many still remember his time as an ascender and the good deeds he did."

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"Wait, Praxima pantheon? Those are my allies. How far away are their temples?" I asked, concerned.

"Well, the Praxima primarily holds sway in Araxthos and its surrounding territories," Sieg replied, "but they're basically on the other side of the world."

My heart sank. The other side of the world was too far away. I had hoped that other temples of Verethragna's pantheon would be closer, but apparently, that was too much to ask for.

"Is teleportation an option?" I asked, trying to hide my disappointment.

"It might be," Sieg said, "but since you're technically not a part of the Praxinan faith, it's doubtful. I don't really understand how spatial nodes work, so you'll have to ask the priests of the first once we get to civilization."

With that, we broke down Sieg's tent and got ready to head to civilization. Sieg informed me that we could make it to the nearest village by nightfall, which filled me with excitement to finally see what life was like in this world. Following the trail Sieg had made to get to the cave, we left the valley and entered a lush forest. The trees were massive, towering over the landscape and making me feel like an ant. That said, ant-like proportional size to these giants made moving through the forest quite easy as few plants were able to survive under the bows of such massive trees.

As we traveled, I couldn't help but be in awe of the new plants and animals I was encountering. Sieg, on the other hand, was not having as much fun. He was carrying our supplies in a backpack and holding the divine essence in a bag, refusing to let it out of his grasp. I, on the other hand, only had my sword, which had attached itself to my back with little effort and was as light as ever. I was also wearing Sieg's mask to maintain anonymity. Surprisingly the mask was not uncomfortable in any way and seemed to improve my vision. In retrospect, I should have taken some gear from Sieg, but I didn't.

My body felt fantastic. I was stronger than I'd ever been on Earth and, although being more conservative with my newfound strength would have been wise, I felt truly free for possibly the first time in my life. I no longer had to take care of my younger sister, deal with my unstable mother, face a psychotic god throwing marbles at me, or encounter giant cockroaches. I couldn't be happier.

Sieg, however, was far from happy about our journey. He had started out with a determined spirit and a newfound sense of hope for completing his quest, but as the day went on, the hot and humid weather, combined with the weight of his backpack and the bag holding the divine essence, took a toll on him. My own actions, like running ahead and asking a barrage of questions about everything, certainly didn't help the situation. It all came to a head when Sieg stumbled on a rock while crossing a muddy section of the forest and fell headfirst into the sludge.

He came out of the mud unhurt but mad as hell swearing at the top of his lungs. The colorful swears were quite impressive, anatomically impossible, but extra points for volume and passion. The real issue being that I was not the only one impressed by the racket. As Sieg quieted down. I glanced up from its prone form to see quite a few pointy eared figures surrounding me as various crude weapons point in our direction. We were surrounded.