Chapter 137 - Emissary of Thunder

"Nope, sorry. I don't believe you."

Leo, having composed himself from his confusion, shook his head profusely.

The Thunder God is a cute loli girl? It was a completely absurd thought in itself. Leo refused to believe that the god who had so terrified him out of his wits was this girl standing before him.

"The Thunder God can't be a little girl. Sorry, just not possible."

Leo was adamant in refusing to believe what was right in front of him. Whatever reality had become, there were still limitations on what can be considered normal... right?

Naturally, Leo's outright refusal was rather ill-received.

"You got a problem with what I look like?!"

Thunder rumbled, and the cute voice was entirely gone. Clearly, seeing her candidate becoming so belligerent about her being a cute girl was unexpected. Normally, people would fawn over her adorableness by now.

"U-uh..."

Leo instinctively took a step back. He had gone too far with the outright dismissal of the Thunder God's appearance; that much he knows. However, Leo had trouble wrapping his head around the idea of it.

"You're about a hundred thousand years too young to say something about my appearance. Do you understand?"

Her voice was still the same as the one that Leo was familiar with. Suffice it to say the Thunder God used that particular voice to intimidate and scare people.

"S-sorry," Leo apologized as he bowed his head. "I didn't expect for the goddess that I revere can be this cute. For that, I truly apologize."

"Hmph."

The Thunder God looked away as soon as Leo called her cute.

'Could it be that the all-powerful Thunder God was a-?'

Before Leo could finish that thought, the Thunder God interrupted ever so quickly.

"Quit being an idiot and get up. I'm not here to be complimented or anything."

'Oh, she definitely is.'

Leo slightly smirked as he straightened his back. From there, he could see the Thunder God was flustered and blushing. She tried her best to hide it, but from Leo's height, it was rather obvious.

"Ehem," the Thunder God cleared her throat as she turned her back on Leo.

"Okay, down to business. I made contact with you again because you've succeeded in getting your next Class. A number of your fellow candidates failed to reach this far. So, congratulations."

Leo was gleefully surprised, albeit a little confused.

"I didn't really do anything to get my next Class Advancement. I mean, I didn't really get any levels from fighting people. I didn't even learn any new spells since I got back home."

The Thunder God turned back around, now with a smile on her face. She raised her finger as if to start a lecture and started explaining.

"Who says my conditions are that shallow? A Candidate's growth is highly dependent on the gods' standards. And, you have passed with flying colors."

Raising an eyebrow, Leo was confused even more.

"I'm sorry, but what conditions?"

The Thunder God snickered with much cheekiness. From Leo's point of view, it was like a mischievous child planning some scheme to steal candy.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you, hehe. My conditions are simple. Win an impossible battle."

Leo's eyes immediately widened. Naturally, the supposedly "simple" condition was anything but. Winning an impossible fight? What an absurd idea!

"And, I succeeded? How did that happen?"

"You sure do have a lot of questions, huh? Fine, I'll answer them."

The Thunder God started to walk on clouds and played with live electricity in her hands. It was weird to see a child doing something like that.

"Thunder. It's simple yet arcane magic. It's a type of magic true to nature itself. This is why my chosen Candidates should have the power to see things through. To show them that their power is omnipotent in the face of overwhelming circumstances."

Sitting on a cloud, the Thunder God stopped playing with the electricity dancing around her palms and looked directly at Leo.

"You've done just that. So, congratulations, really. There were a lot of times where you could've run away, but you chose to stand your ground and win."

Hearing the Thunder God's explanation, Leo's expression visibly darkened.

"What's wrong?"

The Thunder God took control of the cloud she was sitting on. She lowered herself to meet Leo's eye level. Her eyes were filled with curiosity rather than actual compassion for her Candidate.

"I worry that it's always going to be like this," Leo's eyes stared deeply into the ground he was standing on. It was clear and reflective, making him look at his own sorry face.

"Am I always going to be this powerful that I make the weak feel powerless? All those deaths... Those lives that I've claimed because of the unrelenting force that I hold at the palm of my hands... Do lives really mean nothing?"

Leo had been feeling this way for quite some time now. Certainly, the fight against the sadistic enemy soldier broke his soul into self-doubt and frustration.

His fist was closed, tense to the absolute core. Leo didn't want to be ruthless. No, he fought because he wanted to protect. But, protect against what?

In the face of overwhelming power, protecting people against enemies who can't hold a candle to Leo was pointless. His enemies were throwing their lives away. It was as if they were willingly giving it to him.

"I'll tell you something," the Thunder God looked at Leo with great sympathy now. "Sure, you're strong, but there's always going to be someone stronger. Your power isn't to bully the weak and take lives. No. Your power...,"

The Thunder God raised a finger and pointed it directly at Leo's Mana Core before continuing.

"Your power is there to make the people around you feel safe."

Injecting Mana from the tip of her finger, Leo felt his Mana Core being amped up. He could feel electricity running through his veins. However, as electrifying as it was, he didn't feel any pain at all.

[Secret Conditions Complete!]

[You have obtained the Secret Growth-Type Class: Emissary of Thunder.]

[As the Emissary of Thunder, you are hereby bounded to the Thunder God. Their will is now yours. Failure in following the Thunder God's will receive Divine Punishment.]

Following that, other windows popped up. Some introduced new spells to his kit, while others indicated what the [Emissary of Thunder] Class was all about.

Leo's eyes widened in surprise. The sigil he had was no more. He originally thought that the Thunder God was giving him something she had given to the other Candidates. So, why...?

"I decided to take you off the Candidates. It's a nice change of pace considering the others are power-hungry creeps. I've been holding off choosing my last Emissary for quite some time now. Don't disappoint me, alright?"

Looking up from the ground, Leo matched the Thunder God's eyes. It was the first time that he had seen her look at him with hopeful eyes. Clearly, the goddess believed in him.

After a split second of looking, Leo immediately realized what he had to do.

Kneeling on one knee and facing his head to the ground, Leo announced his loyalty.

"Thank you for giving me such grace, my cuteness. I-I mean, my goddess."

With Leo's current understanding of the situation, he tested whether or not the goddess would let him off the hook. Naturally, he made it seem like a mistake.

"I-Idiot! Get out of here!"

A frameless door opened, beyond of which was darkness. It was the door that led Leo out of his dreamscape and onto the open world. He knew he had to get back to Rynold and others soon enough, after all.

But, before that...

"If I'm your Emissary, shouldn't I have orders or something? You know, things that you want me to do?"

It was a reasonable question. Leo had essentially become one of the Thunder God's people. Naturally, Leo would expect something in exchange for the power he obtained since becoming the Emissary of Thunder.

The Thunder God let out a disappointing "hmph" as she turned around to face Leo.

"Just don't die! Okay? That is an order!"

"Uh... Alright then."

As Leo turned his back on the goddess and walked out of the door, the Thunder God watched her Emissary leave.

'He certainly has changed...,' she thought as the door closed between them.

Meanwhile...

"Calm, child," the Emissary of Order's blue eyes stared deeply into Rynold.

"I am not here to start any conflict. The Mech God had simply suggested that I watch over you. He emphasized that your unique qualities are something to take note of. Certainly, you did not disappoint."

Rynold didn't know what to say. No, it was more like he didn't know why he should listen.

As far as he could tell, the Mech God had often bickered with him. And, at the same time, Rynold also bickered back.

So, it didn't really make any sense for the Mech God to do him any favors. Rynold was sure that the other Candidates didn't get any special treatment. Why was he the exception?

"I understand," Rynold frustratingly nodded his head in acceptance. "Can you tell me why the Mech God asked you to watch over me? I'm sure he has other people for that. The Emissary of Order should have things that she should take care of too, right?"

"Silly child," the Emissary of Order giggled in response. "We Emissaries of Order have a lot of time on our hands. We were only tasked to watch reality as it passes, rarely ever acting."

"So, something is seriously wrong, and you need me to stop it?"

Rynold knew what to say now. Composing himself from his earlier confusion, he started to think of the possible reasons why. It got to the point of asking the Emissary why, but her answers were far from satisfactory.

Regardless, though, Rynold could accurately depict what was going on based on what the Emissary said. And, naturally, he hit the exact spot.

"Yes, young one. There is trouble brewing over the horizon. The enemy that you are currently facing has the power to upset the natural order of things. He must be stopped."

The Emissary of Order's voice was serene. However, it was clear to Rynold what her intentions were.

"One question. Why me?"

Rynold asked a question that he didn't need an answer to. Regardless of what the Emissary would say, Rynold would still stop the Duke from completing his mission.

"It's rather simple, child. You have the power to change fate."

Rynold's ears perked up as soon as the Emissary answered.

The answer was vague, just as Rynold had expected it would be. However, what piqued his interest what was she said.

The power to change fate? What's that all about?

"We beings of Order consistently collide with fate," the Emissary continued her explanation, "It's not the first time for something like this to happen. Thus, we take it upon ourselves to quell these threats before they get out of hand. And, you, child... are born with this ability."

Rynold kept quiet for a second, absorbing what the Emissary just said.

"You said that I do it when I'm asleep, right? Doesn't seem to be a very useful ability."

He wasn't an idiot.

The "power" to change fate seemed graned or powerful when people hear about it. But, to Rynold, it was basically falling on deaf ears.

Just because somebody has the ability to do something doesn't necessarily mean that they want to do it. Ability is only ever useful when the person properly wields it. Rynold, however, didn't want anything to do with that.

That supposed "power" is what main protagonists have to become all-powerful, wealthy, idolized, etc. Rynold, for obvious reasons, didn't want anything to do with that. He just wanted to have the people that were close to him be safe.

Of course, he won't go out and say that to an Emissary of Order.