Gacha Kingdom Building

--This Chapter is written in Maya’s POV--

When I was younger, I used to love camping with my family.

Sleeping outside was fun, fishing was calming, and watching the fire rise in a campfire we made ourselves felt special.

Dad and Mom loved it, and they always went out of their way to make it feel like an adventure to Miwen and me.

But after waking up today, I realized something important about those times.

Back then, we’d always bring pillows and blankets with us.

Maya: "Mm... Uhn... I don’t feel right..."

I had spent the last night sleeping against a hard wall inside a cave.

My bones felt like those of an elderly lady; no matter how much I cracked my neck and stretched my arms, they still felt stiff.

Even warm-up and flexibility exercises weren’t helping at all.

Ninhbar: "Bwahaha! So even the young lady has a weakness, ye?"

Laughing next to me was a dwarf I befriended after a challenge during the second phase of the Divine Event.

Yesterday, before night came, Ninhbar was incredibly grumpy and had a complaint ready for every situation.

He hated the forest and insisted we find a cave to spend the night in.

Maya: "Hmm... I asked you guys to wake me up before morning..."

I managed to make my way to the cave’s entrance, despite how rusty I felt.

The sun had still not risen, but it’d only take a few minutes.

It wasn’t fair.

They took longer watches.

Clementh: "What can I say? I enjoy the night, and the young lady deserved to rest."

The second Champion I met yesterday was an elegant, tall dark elf with light purple skin.

He was a master of both [Dark Magic] and [Green Magic], yet he was incredibly humble.

Above all, he was kind.

Maybe too much, even...

Ever since he joined us, he did everything in his power to help me, from summoning wood platforms over rivers so I didn’t have to jump over to acting as bait for monsters.

Even now, I found him sewing leaves to make a blanket and stuffing feathers to make a pillow.

Maya: "Hmpf... Well, I’m serious this time. Please, stay inside. If someone comes, tell them I have your badges. Don’t force me to use your badges, okay?"

After one last stretch, I gave them my sternest scolding.

The two laughed it off and asked if I wanted their help, despite how I emphasized they should stay safe inside the cave.

Their gentleness almost made me surrender, but I couldn’t justify dragging them along.

Not with what I had in mind, at least...

Maya: "I wish I could run into Miwen..."

Since this world wasn’t the Celestial Palace, I was hoping to keep Clementh and Ninhbar safe inside the Kingdom, in case Miwen had access to it again.

But I also missed him.

As much as I hated this Divine Event, the nostalgia this phase evoked spoke to my heart.

[Castor: Maya..."]

And in my mind, the voice of a star resonated.

[Castor: I told you it’s dangerous. Why are you going after that wolf?]

While I could hear all of the stars’ voices, most were too faint for me to understand.

It was like a static echoing through my mind, and sometimes, when I needed focus, I’d ask them to be quiet.

Some complained, but they were shut down by the others who understood.

In some situations, like in the Divine Event, some stars would shout over others.

It was the case with Sirius, who forcibly took over my body...

Castor was the complete opposite of all of them, though.

Our connection was so strong that we could always communicate, and its voice was at the perfect volume for me to hear.

I enjoyed talking with Castor as much as I did all of the other stars, but its personality was similar to Miwen’s.

It kept reprimanding the other stars, and it valued my mind’s clarity, choosing to be present but quiet most of the time.

All of the stars protected me in their own way.

But Castor was the overprotective type.

[Castor: I’m not overprotective. I’m reasonably protective. That beast is beyond you. Even if Sirius offered help, you’d stand little chance.]

While it would always raise its voice at other stars, Castor had rarely ever spoken to me with this much energy.

I could almost feel a thud inside my head.

Maya: "I know... But I’m intrigued. Isn’t it strange?"

As much as I enjoyed its protection, something else inside me was screaming about the wolf I’d met yesterday.

That monster towered over trees with ease, and each strand of its golden fur shone despite the dirt on its body.

It was the strongest monster I had ever seen.

Every star shouted for me to run when the wolf noticed my presence, yet it never attacked me.

Instead, it howled and ran somewhere else.

Maya: "Its fur was too well-kept, and it didn’t attack me... I think there’s something more to it."

Even its claws seemed almost too perfect for a wild beast.

[Castor: Hah... If Polaris knew you would use its blessing like this, I doubt it’d have offered it to you...]

Navigating the dense forest was hard for me since Castor was the only star helping my mobility.

But when I met Clementh, Polaris reacted and offered a blessing to help me find other Champions.

Whenever I was close to another Champion, or when this world’s star caught a glimpse of one, they’d appear in my field of vision as a white, flickering flame.

The only problem was every flame looked the same.

I had no idea who they were, and I could only hope to run into someone I could help.

Unfortunately, the next time a flame appeared for me, luck wasn’t on my side...

Erik: "Why are you always running into me?"

I saw two white flames near each other.

Thinking they were fighting, I rushed to stop it, only to be intercepted by them.

My relief in seeing that they were cooperating only lasted until I recognized it was Erik and... An angelic friend?

Though she seemed a little tired, her face was very delicate and pretty.

Her faint blue wings were incredibly majestic, too.

It almost seemed like they were about to fade, like something incredibly precious.

Maya: "Well, this time you’re the one who ran into me..."

I wasn’t given the chance to react.

In the blink of an eye, Erik had me pinned against a nearby tree.

Maya: "And you invaded my personal space again."

I couldn’t tell whether he noticed it was me or if he had already decided to intercept whoever was coming to him this way, but...

Every time we met, he’d always do that to me.

Maybe I should do it to him one of these days.

Maya: "...You have five badges, but only one person accompanying you? Erik..."

It was hard to notice any changes in his expression, but Erik seemed to have briefly raised an eyebrow.

A moment later, the tiniest of smiles formed on his lips.

Erik: "How do you know I have five?"

Even though I had no intention of running away, he took a step forward, further cornering me.

Maya: "You’d never leave yours where the eye can see."

He reached for his pockets, showing me his badge.

Rather than provoking me to snatch it, I felt like he only wanted to prove me wrong.

I didn’t show any reaction to it, and his smile grew slightly.

One of his hands slid down the tree, reaching closer to my shoulder.

Erik: "What about you, then? I see three badges, so you must have four? And no one following you... I didn’t think you’d be this ruthless."

He was definitely enjoying himself.

I wish it didn’t have to be at my expense, but...

This was a good chance.

Maya: "They are hiding. If you see a tall dark elf and a dwarf with a long brown beard in danger, please help them for me."

His eyes narrowed.

Erik’s gaze fixed on my chest, where I kept my badges.

Suddenly, the air around him changed.

He seemed irritated.

Erik: "...Where’s that beige cardigan you’re always wearing?"

That surprised me, and I tilted my head.

It was the type of question I’d expect from Miwen, not him.

Besides, I wasn’t always wearing it.

W-Well, I liked it a lot, so maybe more often than not...

Maybe I should buy a new blouse...

Maya: "It’s too hot for me to wear it... I used it as a pillow, but it wasn’t very effective, so I left it in the cave-"

He reached for my neck with a swift, almost invisible movement.

His hand landed on my skin, and slowly, it slid down toward my collar.

Finally, he stopped, buttoning up my shirt.

Maya: "...It’s just one button, it’s not showing cleavage."

My eyes drifted to the side, and my voice came out lower than I wanted.

It was a little embarrassing, especially with the angel watching us.

Erik: "It’s two."

When I finally realized I should be scolding him for that, I noticed he had the same blank expression as always, as if it was only natural.

Even though it didn’t come close to showing my navel, he reached near my skirt and fixed the last button on my shirt, looking almost absentmindedly as he did so.

Erik: "It’s annoying how defenseless you make yourself. Do you think you are that superior?"

I’d expect his voice to sound cold and detached.

But for the first time, I felt a hint of something else.

Not warmth, definitely not.

But something slightly fiery, more like a spark than a flame.

Maya: "I don’t think-"

He took all three of my badges for himself.

His hand had moved too fast for me to stop him.

Erik: "Recalculate. It’s this easy for me to defeat you."

He dangled the badges before my eyes.

Maya: "You don’t want to defeat me through extraneous circumstances. It would weaken your image and the AOTG’s cause-"

He clenched his fists, burying the badges within his hand.

Erik: "Tell me everything about your Gift."

Now his voice sounded cold.

Even his eyes were emotionless.

Maya: "I refuse."

His muscles tensed, and his fists clenched even harder.

So much so that silver specks began flowing down his palm, the badges he held reduced to dust.

Erik: "Yet another ability..."

He seemed amused.

Meanwhile, I reached for his badges, copying them just as I had done with mine.

Maya: "Useful, right?"

While I couldn’t replicate the badge’s ability to command others, there were plenty of uses for it, and Erik seemed to agree.

Maya: "If you want to, I can give you these for a fakeout. But I want something in return."

He adjusted his glasses, taking one of his hands from the tree behind me.

It was meaningless since I couldn’t escape, but I appreciated the breathing room.

After a while, staying in the same position had made me uncomfortable.

Erik: "What do you want?"

Maya: "Information. Have you seen a blue wolf with golden fur around somewhere?"

He closed his eyes, his smile growing slightly.

Then, he chuckled.

It was so unexpected, I blinked a couple of times at it.

Erik: "And why are you going after it?"

Maya: "I can tell you, but in exchange, you have to promise not to hurt any Champions without badges."

He wasn’t the type to waste energy with unnecessary actions, but still...

Having him promise it to me would bring me immense relief.

As bad as he could be, Erik respected fair exchanges.

And I wanted to be able to trust his word.

Erik: "Fine."

My bet paid off so well that a relieved breath escaped me and I clenched my fists, celebrating to myself.

After a few minutes of walking together, Erik showed me a path of fallen trees where he had last seen the wolf.

According to him, it happened a little after midday yesterday.

Mynna: "...Are you just going to let her go?"

We turned our backs to each other and started going our own ways.

But even though she said it under her breath, I could still hear his friend’s concern.

Erik: "If you think you can win, be my guest. However, the wolf might be less annoying to deal with than that woman."

I shouldn’t say anything.

But I couldn’t stop myself.

Maya: "I can still hear you!"

I shouted from my lungs.

Even though I knew that I was playing right into his hand.

Erik: "...Case in point."

I tried waving him goodbye, but he didn’t even bother raising a hand in return.

For a while, it was just me and the stars guiding my way.

Castor reprimanded me about everything and even took Erik’s side, telling me that if I were to unbutton my shirt again, I’d lose its blessing.

I almost missed Erik and his friend.

Especially his friend.

I wanted to know more about her.

She looked at Erik in a very unique way. I felt we could be friends.

[Castor: Are you not afraid he might go after your brother?]

Thanks to Castor, the heat was making me dizzy.

I stopped for a second, using [Water Magic] to rehydrate.

Whenever Castor talked about Miwen, it’d sound gentle.

It’d always say it was just my imagination, but I felt like it liked Miwen a lot.

Perhaps that’s why we were so close.

Maya: "I doubt it. Miwen represents the government. Erik loses too much by defeating him during the Divine Event."

He was also underestimating Miwen quite a bit since the last time they met...

If anything, I was more concerned about Erik himself if he ran into Miwen.

I knew my brother more than anyone else.

After what Erik did to his friends, he was probably leaning-

[Gift activated: [Great Mountain Forge].

The stars have aligned:

Antares offers you its blessing.

Polaris offers you its blessing.

Aldebaran offers you its blessing.

Arcturus offers...]

Castor suddenly fell silent.

Two white flames flickered a few meters away from where I stood.

Erik and his friends had gone in the opposite direction.

Knowing it couldn’t be them, I approached the flames carefully.

??????: "Tch. Bad luck... It’s the blonde young girl from the Divine Banquet..."

Despite trying my best not to draw attention, the two Champions noticed my presence almost immediately.

They were both dwarves.

One carried two badges and a thick hammer on his back, while the other had an equally large axe.

Once they laid eyes on me and confirmed my identity, they turned their backs and started walking away.

That annoyed reaction wasn’t anything I hadn’t experienced before.

Ninhbar had done the same, and even Clementh seemed displeased when he discovered I was the Champion he had been trailing.

It was all because of Asdrea’s ring.

Almost every Champion I had run into refused to fight me because of it.

It made things hard, but I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

I had three badges, while Erik already had five.

These dwarves also had two.

Defeating one person would soon mean acquiring several badges at once, and the Champions would begin to hit the goal of collecting eight badges, reaching the next phase of the Divine Event.

I had to make sure I’d be one of them.

If only to prevent further meaningless death.

Maya: "Wait! We can compete without fighting!"

I ran towards them, shouting.

The two stopped in their tracks, staring at each other for a second.

After whispering to one another a few times, they turned toward me, their eyes filled with suspicion.

??????: "What do you mean, lassie?"

The two dwarfs approached me, still hesitant.

Maya: "Well... I heard dwarves are proud of their strength?"

A loud thud echoed through the forest as the dwarves let their weapons rest on the ground, their hands still tightly gripping the hilts.

??????: "You better believe we are!"

They crossed their arms, huffing through their noses.

Maya: "In that case... How about arm wrestling? Best of three."

It only tested arm strength, but Ninhbar was more than happy to accept the challenge.

Though he tried giving me an edge, thinking I looked frail and malnourished...

Only on the first round, though.

After I won twice, he tried his best.

The two dwarves were similar.

Gilper, the dwarf without a badge and with an axe, put almost no strength in his arm, treating me like a little kid.

By the last round, he was using [Earth Magic] to block his elbow.

His friend, Eninthir, disapproved and, using his badge, forced Gilper to concede.

He seemed a little embarrassed since even with magic, I was still pushing him slightly.

However, I also had Aldebaran’s blessing, so I thought it was only fair.

Eninthir: "Good one, lassie. But I was the strongest in our forge."

His muscles were incredibly dense.

Even more than Gilper and Ninhbar.

The blessing Aldebaran offered wasn’t strong enough, and I couldn’t choose another one fast enough to win the round.

[Castor: ...Maya. His Gift is fully offensive. Antares offered its blessing for a reason.]

Maya: "You’re incredible!"

Eninthir: "Kakaka! You say that, but... You’re a little monster, lassie."

It wasn’t me.

It was Antares.

I had to be careful using it, though.

The blessing it offered me in reaction to Eninthir’s Gift consumed too much energy and left me with an incredible headache.

Paired with its already abnormal mana cost, I almost regretted not trading Polaris’ blessing for Arcturus’ to give me a physical edge without relying on Antares.

Still, I got two new allies, which should be good, but it left me in a bit of a predicament...

Maya: "I’m searching for a very dangerous monster. It’s a wolf with golden fur-"

I was about to tell Eninthir and Gilper to head toward the cave I left Ninhbar and Clementh on.

However, upon the mention of the wolf, the two nodded their heads.

Gilper: "We know where it is, lassie."

I told them I didn’t want to put them into unnecessary risk.

This was just a gut feeling I had.

It wasn’t fair to ask anyone to risk their lives for it.

And yet, the two made sure to guide me to where they last saw the wolf.

Maya: "...Hi?"

[Gift detected: [World Breaker Fangs]

The stars have aligned:

Antares offers you its blessing.

Sirius offers you its blessing.

Rigel offers you...]

The beast lay on the ground, its paws stretched before its body.

Upon hearing me speak, it opened one of its eyes.

It stared at me, and I slowly approached.

Once I was close enough...

I extended my hand.

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