Chapter 770: My Beautiful Goddess (Patreon)

Luke’s Self Golem spent more time ruling his territory than he did. It went into town, spoke with citizens, patrolled the territory, and showed itself often enough to remind everyone that their lord was still around. Meanwhile, the real Luke stayed in the laboratory, focused on seeds, potions, and the infuriatingly slow process of restoring the Great Tree.

The golem, however, wasn’t an autonomous copy with a mind of its own. It was nothing more than an extension of Luke’s will. Without commands, the thing just stood there, about as useful as a clay statue abandoned in the middle of the room.

“Even if the golem doesn’t have all the right parts, my idea would still work,” Artemis said.

Luke didn’t even look up from the workbench.

“We’re done with this conversation.”

Luke’s Self Golem was made of clay and shaped in his likeness. Its face, clothes, and expression were detailed enough to fool people from a distance, but that was all. There were no organs inside it. Nothing real. It was a functional imitation. Sometimes, Luke used [Transmutation] to add fake blood or other artificial structures, mostly to experiment with the skill, not because the golem actually needed them.

Artemis, of course, insisted that he should use the golem to test ridiculous ideas. Typical Artemis-level perversion.

“Come on, man. Your spine’s the only reason this doesn’t work. The golem can bend however you want, and it has a perfectly good mouth.”

Luke slowly looked up from the workbench.

“I said we’re done. I’m not debating this with you. Keep talking and I won’t feed you for a week.”

“Fine. Dropping it. But for the record, you’re a hypocrite. You use your hands during your little late-night sessions.”

“That’s not the same thing. And I haven’t done that in a long time. Not since I found out my necklace was sentient.”

“I know. Tragic, really. That night during the tutorial was one of my favorites...” Her voice turned dreamy. “You were alone in that house, thinking about Allison, and—”

Luke squeezed the necklace.

“Shut up. Don’t you dare finish that.”

“I don’t blame you. The first pair of breasts a man sees is always special.”

“Artemis...”

“Fine. My mouth is shut.”

Several orc weapons from the last battle lay scattered across the workbench. Most were axes, though there were swords and spears as well. All of them were well made. The metal gleamed, and the blades had clean, sharp edges. It reminded him just how different these orcs were from the ones in the tutorial, who had carried much cruder weapons.

Once he finished sorting everything, Luke descended into the cavern beneath the Great Tree and resumed gathering materials. Veins of ore ran through the walls, but he ignored them for now, making a mental note to eventually send someone down to collect them for Joseph. He continued through the underground forest and began harvesting roses.

[Rose of Happiness (Uncommon)]: A delicate flower with soft, vibrant petals and a naturally sweet fragrance. Its pollen carries a mild soporific effect, easing tension and causing gradual drowsiness in those who breathe it in.

Luke kept gathering plants. There were dozens of species down there, with effects ranging from mild paralysis to far more potent toxins.

[Rose of Illusion (Uncommon)]: A pale, unusual rose whose petals shimmer faintly under low light. Its pollen disrupts the senses when inhaled, causing mild confusion, distorted perception, and difficulty focusing for a short period of time.

When he was done, he returned to the laboratory entrance. He took a seed from the [Tree of Mother Freya] and activated [Botanical Transmutation]. The fusion process was delicate, but it worked. Luke studied the seed in his palm. It had taken him two minutes to create, but it was the result of an entire week of experimentation. A tree that released sleep-inducing pollen as it grew. He could build an actual enchanted forest with these fusions.

Smiling, Luke continued working. Each successful seed went into a separate basket. His kingdom would have plenty of those trees, and tending to the mutated plants would earn him even more experience.

Paralysis, sleep, confusion. Now I need something that causes pain.

After burning through most of his mana on experiments, Luke finally went to bed. It had been a while since he’d truly rested. Charlie was returning from her journey with Norn, and he missed his vampire girlfriend. The moment he closed his eyes, his body began to feel weightless. A sweet scent filled the air. When Luke opened his eyes again, clouds surrounded him. They slowly drifted apart, revealing a beautiful, inviting bedroom. He was lying on a bed.

What the fuck...?

Then someone planted a foot on his face.

“Kiss it,” a voice ordered.

A woman stood over him. A gorgeous blonde elf, beautiful enough to make almost anyone fall in love at first sight. Unfortunately, Luke knew the true personality of that wicked woman far too well.

“Artemis...”

“Goddess Artemis,” she corrected.

He shoved her foot aside.

“Hey, Luke!” She crossed her arms, offended. “My feet are gorgeous. I take great care of them. They’re soft and cute. Don’t reject them like that. At least pretend to be tempted.”

“Why did you put your foot on my face?”

“So you could kiss it. I thought it could be our official goddess-and-apostle greeting. You start with my feet, then work your way up my leg, and...”

Luke got off the bed before she could finish.

“Come on, man! Don’t leave me.” Artemis shoved him back onto the mattress. “And seriously, stay in bed. I need to conserve as many credits as possible with this dream generator.”

“So we’re back to you breaking into my dreams.”

“And that’s supposed to be a problem? I’m your goddess. I have the right. You signed a contract with me. That’s basically marriage.”

“It was not basically marriage.”

“Not my fault you didn’t read the fine print.”

“There wasn’t even a contract. Forget it. I’m letting myself get dragged into your insanity again.” Luke narrowed his eyes as he remembered something. “Artemis, what’s this about you wanting to spy on me in the bath through your statue?”

“What? How do you know about that, Luke?”

“Your Necklace Self told me.”

“She told you? That bitch!”

“So it’s true?”

“What? No. Absolutely not. Change the subject. You’re being incredibly immature. You’re in the presence of a goddess. Show some respect.”

She cleared her throat and straightened her posture, trying to recover what little dignity she had left.

“I came to congratulate you. Your Kingdom Core didn’t just hit level one. It shot straight to level four.”

She clapped, and confetti began raining from the ceiling.

“Congratulations! Your goddess worked very hard and spent her precious credits to come speak with you, so give her a little extra attention.” She winked.

They talked for a while. Luke brought her up to speed on his progress and what he planned to do next. Artemis knew very little about the continent, so she found the information interesting as well. As they talked, she slowly inched closer to him on the bed. At first, she just sat beside him. Then she edged far too close. When she noticed Luke was about to complain, she pressed a finger to his lips.

“Your goddess is trying to pamper her apostle.”

She began massaging his shoulders. To Luke’s surprise, it felt good. Dream or not, the massage was relaxing enough for him to lower his guard.

“I’ve thought about that, Artemis,” he said, returning to their earlier conversation. “But how the hell am I supposed to make a statue of you? I’m terrible at that kind of thing.”

“You’ll need a sculptor, man. You have citizens. Find someone with the talent and make them one.”

“Sure, but how do I show the sculptor what your face looks like?”

She leaned close to his ear. “Why don’t you start by taking my measurements right here and now?”

Luke tried to move away.

“I’m joking... maybe.”

She refused to let him escape and continued the massage. “Find a sculptor. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Any news about my family?”

“No. I’m too poor to buy information.”

“I thought information was free.”

“Some of it is. But even I have to deal with those damned paywalls. Basically, Luke, I’m broke. I spent everything I had bringing you here so I could remind you that you need to make offerings to me. We need money. We’re poor.”

Artemis spent the next several minutes complaining about how miserable it was to be a broke goddess. She wanted to bring him into more entertaining dream spaces, she claimed, but everything cost too much. Luke listened to half of it and ignored the other half for the sake of his sanity.

“As for the Great Spirit Illyra,” Artemis continued, “you were incredibly lucky to have one inside your Core’s territory.”

“Am I doing the right thing by helping her?”

“Yes. She’s Mother Nature, man. Even if she’s only a tiny piece of her.”

“And what about this underworld?”

“Based on what you’ve told me, this continent might be an aquarium full of weak fish. That would explain why there don’t seem to be that many powerful people around. If there aren’t any truly strong monsters, eventually people hit a wall. Their levels stagnate. Progress stops.”

“I think I get what you mean.”

“It’s like a gold mine running dry. Eventually, you have to go somewhere else if you want more. But people with kingdoms to rule don’t always bother.” Artemis shrugged. “Once they reach the top, they get comfortable. They have land, power, responsibilities. Why go looking for something that might kill them?”

Luke considered that.

“And after enough generations...”

“You get complacency,” Artemis said. “A whole continent where the strongest people stopped pushing themselves a long time ago. Maybe that’s what happened on your continent. Maybe it isn’t. I don’t know enough yet.”

“I don’t know whether that makes me lucky or unlucky.”

“Probably both.”

Luke frowned.

“But I still don’t know whether there are sharks in this aquarium. I don’t know how many kingdoms are on this continent or how big the damn thing even is. Honestly, I don’t even know where to start looking for the Array. The clue says it’s somewhere on the coast, but this is a fucking continent. I don’t know whether it’s the size of England or the United States.”

He dragged a hand over his face.

For a moment, he said nothing.

“I’m starting to accept that I might miss my chance to see my mother at that meeting. Every time I get closer, this damned system throws another obstacle in my way.”

“Calm down, my apostle. You’re way too tense.” Artemis pressed more firmly into his shoulders. “From the system’s perspective, it’s doing you a favor. You’re the champion of [Sunken Realms], and it dropped you into an aquarium full of fish you can dominate or kill. As far as progression goes, that continent is practically a gift.”

“A gift I’m trying to escape.”

“Yeah. That’s the problem.” She gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. “You landed in a great position on the board, but your actual goal is somewhere else. Still, that doesn’t make the position worthless. Use what you have. Grow stronger, expand your territory, and keep moving forward.”

“And the Array?”

“The Array will come to you eventually.”

Luke found that hard to believe.

“I know you,” she said. “You’re the kid who cleared the hardest tutorial in your universe in a single year after arriving at, what, level three? Now imagine what you can do on a continent full of complacent kings when you’re already Rank D.”

Luke fell silent for a moment. “Yeah... talking to you actually helps.”

“Of course it does. You could talk to Charlie or Angie, sure, but you’d still hold half of it back. You’re too busy trying to be their pillar.”

“I think you’re right.”

“Obviously. Now fill those two open servant slots and find us two more hot women.”

Luke sighed. And just like that, Artemis was back to normal.

“What about the underworld?” he asked. “You didn’t really answer me.”

“All I can say without spoiling it is that you should go there if you want to become an even bigger shark.”

They spoke a little longer about the divine order before Luke returned to the main issue.

“So I just need to make these offerings?”

“Yes. And every time you do, you need to repeat the magic phrase I taught you.”

“Oh, hell no. I thought that was one of your jokes.”

“It wasn’t a joke. You have to say it every time. And start making offerings immediately. At least once a day until you have a statue of me in your kingdom. Once it’s built, the statue will generate credits for me every day.”

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Repeat the magic phrase. I want to make sure you remember it.”

“Relax. I remember it.”

“Say it.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. It’s urgent. We’re almost out of time.”

“Fine...” Luke took a deep breath. “Artemis, you are my beautiful goddess.”

A huge smile spread across her face. “I knew you loved me, Luke!”

She lunged at him with her arms open and her lips puckered.

“I knew you were up to something,” Luke said, planting a hand against her face and pushing her back.

Suddenly, Artemis began to recede into the distance. Her voice faded as if the wind had swallowed it, and white clouds surged between them.

“No! Damn it! We’re out of time!” she complained. “Luke, find a fucking sculptor!”

Her voice fractured into echoes, and the dream vanished.

***

Several days passed, and the ritual had already become part of Luke’s morning.

He took a ceramic bowl and filled it with green leaves, carefully choosing the prettiest ones from the trees. Then he added ripe fruit and a cookie he had baked. He placed everything on a table in his bedroom.

“Artemis, you are my beautiful goddess. I offer this tribute to you.”

“Hehe. Thank you, my apostle,” a distant voice replied, echoing through the air before fading away.

Luke was almost certain the goddess could have chosen a more neutral activation phrase.

“What was that, Master Luke?” Charlie asked from the bed, still waking up.

She had returned the day before.

“It’s one of Artemis’s spells. I have to make offerings until I can get a statue of her. I told you about her being my goddess.”

“That’s... a very strange spell.”

“Relax, Charlie. You’re my goddess too.”

“Your goddess...?”

Luke walked over to her. Charlie was still lying on the mattress. “Yeah. The woman I worship, adore, and find incredibly hot.”

Charlie laughed.

“I’m not joking. I’m a devoted believer in the Church of Charlie. I love this goddess from head to toe.”

She laughed again, hiding part of her face.

“It’s a shame you don’t believe me. I really am a believer. A full-on fanatic. Now it’s time to bathe my goddess.”

Luke scooped her into his arms and carried her into the adjoining bathroom, where a massive wooden tub awaited them.

By nightfall, they were back to work. Luke, Charlie, and Norn reached an orc encampment near the edge of his expanding territory. Scattered groups of orcs had been moving through the forest and setting up temporary camps.

Luke walked toward them. The instant the orcs spotted him, they grabbed their weapons. Arrows streaked through the air, but Luke knocked them aside with his kukris. Then he burst forward. He slipped between two orcs, his blades flashing once. Both dropped behind him.

Crude weapons.

Norn shot past Charlie before the first body hit the ground. A strand of web snapped around another orc’s torso, and she dragged it backward before it could react. Her evolution into an [Warrior] had made her noticeably faster, stronger, and far more aggressive.

“They’re mindless,” Charlie said, watching the camp.

“Yeah.”

There was no chance of getting anything useful out of them.

“But judging by the weapons, I think they’re part of the Orc King’s army.”

From what Luke had learned over the past few days by studying the orcs and interrogating prisoners, the Orc Lord’s faction used superior weapons. Those weapons had been forged on this continent from local materials.

It made sense. The Orc Lord had been here for a year and already had an established settlement. The Orc King’s forces, on the other hand, had only recently begun arriving and were still trying to gain a foothold. Yet someone was already supplying the newcomers with locally forged weapons.

Who’s making these weapons? Are the orcs forging them themselves, or are humans helping them?

There was a kingdom called Duskridge near the region occupied by the orcs. Its job was to report any orc movement toward the continent’s interior. But based on what Luke had uncovered while investigating influential people who passed through Nyvma, Duskridge had apparently failed to report that a substantial number of orcs were marching inland.

The Guild’s theory was that the orcs had killed the messengers. It made sense. Messages could take months to reach their destination, and Luke was beginning to understand just how badly the lack of long-distance communication could cripple a nation. Still, dead messengers didn’t explain the new weapons.

Luke glanced at the mindless orcs scattered around the camp.

These are useless to me. The two in my prison aren’t.

When Luke returned to the Great Tree’s cavern, he headed deeper, into a section choked with webs. Several trees grown from the [Tree of Mother Freya] stood there.

The orc prisoners were bound inside them, branches wrapped around their bodies like chains. Some of those branches had pierced their flesh and anchored themselves inside, holding the prisoners completely still.

The seeds of those trees had been altered through [Botanical Transmutation]. Luke had incorporated traits from carnivorous plants, hallucinogenic plants, and several other useful varieties. The trees kept the prisoners trapped in a constant trance.

Luke’s prison was coming along nicely.

Two orcs occupied the center of the chamber. They had the sharpest minds and the clearest memories. One served the Orc Lord’s faction and had been captured during the battle. The other belonged to the Orc King and had been taken during the invasion of the goblin village.

Luke pulled a seed from his pocket. He had created it with [Seed Conversion], turning one of his newest modified plants back into seed form. He activated [Plant Growth]. The seed split open and blossomed into a rose. Luke held the finished rose near the orcs’ faces. A cloud of fine pollen spilled from its petals. The orcs’ eyes snapped open, and they began screaming. The modified pollen carried a nonlethal toxin that caused unbearable pain and sent their hearts racing.

Luke watched them calmly. One of you knows something.

“Good evening,” he said. “It’s time for our routine interrogation.”

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