Rai's Story Telling

It was getting late. Rai was still waiting for Erin, who was currently inside the cocoon. He sat cross-legged in front of the cocoon with Erin's basket, which was now filled with many kobold tails, plus the head of the kobold king he had cut off to pass the time. Rai truly hoped that when Erin emerged, inevitably as Kiko, she wouldn't go berserk like he did when he was unconscious. Finally, he crawled forward a little, still sitting, dragging his basket.

"Hey, Kiko, while you're still in there, let me tell you about this world, as far as I know," he began.

Without further delay, Rai recounted what he had learned over the past ten years and why he was now settled in Trierra City. After waking up on a deserted island 10 years ago, Rai decided to return to the southern continent by transforming the lower half of his body into Raigan so he could walk across the ocean after learning how to use his power.

When he reached the southern continent, he arrived at an abandoned monastery not far from the coast. There, he read books that had been left behind. From these books, he learned about the world's legends, which only made him despise the job and rank system even more. According to legend, long ago, six gods ruled the world. The first god created the entire world.

After that, the six gods and goddesses created five races destined to inhabit the world: the first was humans, the second dark elves, the third beastmen, the fourth mermen, and the fifth was the race that inhabited the sky, angels. The world entered a golden age where all created beings lived prosperously with the gods. However, one day, a sixth race emerged from underground.

This race was the demons, and with them came giant monsters taller than mountains called Gigas, who, according to legend, inhabited the underworld. They claimed that the world belonged to them before the gods came to this world. War was unavoidable. All the races united against the demon race and the Gigas, who numbered only seven. The war almost destroyed the entire world. Two gods were killed fighting the Gigas, and two races were annihilated by the demon race.

The remaining goddesses finally managed to imprison the Gigas underground and destroy the demon race until no one was left. After that, to protect the remaining races in the world, these goddesses bestowed their power upon them so they could protect themselves if the world was threatened again. That power is now called job. Every living creature certainly has a job because the goddesses gave their blessing to all creature without exception, but the goddesses chose jobs for them according to their individual talents, regardless of their own wishes and without being able to protest.

After that, the remaining goddesses could only watch from their abode because they could no longer descend to the world to help their creations. They could only bestow blessings and leave the world to their creations to manage. The place where the Gigas were imprisoned, according to legend, was a tower extending into the ground as a bridge to the world beneath the surface, where the Gigas were confined and lived. According to legend, that tower was also a "means" to go to where the goddesses resided.

"So that's the story of how I ended up in this city. I've traveled the world, and the only tower that matches the legend is the labyrinth tower in Trierra City. You understand, Kiko? I just want to talk to the goddesses and tell them that the job system is wrong because humans and similar beings can decide what they want and enjoy without the goddesses' interference. And if they resist, of course, I'll wipe them out," Rai explained.

"Uuuuuuuung," a faint sound was heard again from inside the cocoon.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We're not from this world. We're from Earth and we saw how Earth's human works, but human always being human, they afraid seeing us and consider us a threat for them. But now, as human in this world, I don't agree with the way this world works. I lost my family because of how things are in this world, even though I'm happy to be human and have a family," Rai said.

"Uuuuung," the cocoon's sound was heard again.

"Of course, we're kaiju, different from the Gigas mentioned in the legends. And if those underground Gigas mess with us, we'll wipe them out too," Rai said, as if understanding what the cocoon was saying.

"Uuuung?"

"Yes, there's a religion in this world that carries on the words of the goddesses to regulate the lives of humans and similar beings. According to the religion I know, job ranks aren't determined by the goddesses, but by the religion itself. That's why I want to destroy them after I meet the goddesses," Rai answered.

"Uuuuuuuuung,"

"Huh... why meet the goddesses? I just want to confirm something, If all of this turns out to be the doing of humans and their kind, I'll forgive the goddesses then ask them to get rid of that job system. But if the dominant religion in this world is purely carrying out orders from the goddesses, then that religion better be ready to meet a new god," Rai said with a smile.

"Uuuuuuung?"

"Of course we can do it! We can definitely defeat them!" Rai said confidently.

"Uuuuuung,"

"Yeah, if Reidan and Kromn were here, we'd be even stronger. But if you also reincarnated into this world, I'm sure Reidan and Kromn are here too. Right now, I'm also looking for them. If they're not on the surface, maybe they're with the legendary Gigas underground," Rai responded.

"Uuuu....uuuung,"

"Hopefully, Kiko... hopefully. Are you coming out soon?" Rai asked.

"Uuuuuuuung,"

"Okay, take your time, but remember, when you come out, please don't go berserk," Rai replied.

"Uuuung?"

"Let me tell you what happened when I woke up."

Rai recounted how he "woke up as Raigan" to Kiko, who was still inside the cocoon.

"Uuuung,"

"That's right, Kiko. Thanks to my father's last attack, I managed to stop my rampage, but when I found out my father died, I destroyed that kingdom," Rai said.

"Uuuuuuuuung,"

"So, your family abandoned you because you got 'Gigas Core' written on the stone tablet when you received your blessing?" Rai asked.

"Uuuuuung... uuuung,"

"I understand. So we have the same fate. But besides us, there are also humans, dark elves, and beastmen who didn't get a job at all. For this past year, I thought you were just like them. I didn't know you got 'Gigas Core' on the stone tablet," Rai said.

"Uuuuuuung,"

"Alright, go to sleep. I'll stand guard here," Rai said.

After that, Kiko fell silent and didn't "speak" anymore. Rai stood up, then sat leaning against the cocoon to guard it, stroking the surface of the cocoon that pulsed like a heart.